Chapter 8

Author's Note: OMGG… I gave "sneak peeks" to so many people, I bet they've already read the entire chapter…

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Hmmm… About a week later.

Yumi P.O.V.

"Thanks Yumi! At last, I have a break from you!" Christine teased, "I have to get something good for my mom's birthday anyway. I'll see you later."

I smiled genuinely at the girl. I was giving her the week's paycheck, and as usual, sending her off to the mall in the limo to get herself something nice.

"Aiight. Later." I said as Christine vanished out the front door.

After Christine left, I stared out the window, lost in a train of thought. It was those times when you just stare out into space, and don't stop staring until something distracts you.

A crash of thunder shouted, making me jump in surprise. Yep, something was bound to distract you. I sighed. This was one of those days, where you felt gloomy, and had nothing to do about it. I walked slowly to my room, each step feeling like a drag.

When I reached to my room, I pressed the combination, and the door swung open. I locked the door. There was no use though for no one else was home, except one bodyguard, probably watching TV downstairs. I flopped onto my bed. Grabbing my large pillow, I buried my face in it, and groaned rather loudly. Today was disastrous, and tiring.

Today was a dreary, rainy Saturday, and miraculously, I had some free time, which was surprising. I usually had to do one of those tours, or a meeting, a concert, something. But today, I was free.

I suppose I should have done something better than mope around at home… go out, do something. I usually felt ambitious… but today was one of those moments where you snuggle at home and watch TV until you get nauseous.

Unfortunately, my friends DID feel ambitious.

My friends dragged me out into the pouring rain, trying to get me to stop moping. In the midst of all the commotion, I had forgotten my disguise at home, yet my so-called-friends forced me into the mall without it anyway. Being mobbed is not a fun thing. I repeat. It is not fun. Right after I entered the mall, I had to escape. A girl almost instantaneously spotted me. She pointed, obnoxiously screaming my name.

Hundreds crowded around us, asking for our autographs.

As my friends frantically signed autographs as quickly as their hands would allow them to, I pushed the people aside, and ran for dear life, whilst my "fans" were right behind my heel. I rushed into the nearest bathroom, and ran into an empty stall. I stood on the toilet seat, panting. The girls came in, hastily searching for me through the large restroom. Muttering that the girl probably wasn't me, that it was just another look-a-like, they retreated back to their shopping.

I found my friends at the entrance still signing autographs and dragged them to the car.

It was a very eventful day indeed. And the worst part? I had a feeling I was catching a cold. I hadn't gotten sick for so long. No allergies, no nothing. I depended on my natural healthiness to perform. Imagine that. I would sneeze in the middle of a lyric, and then run off the stage to get a tissue from the audience. Weird.

I kept sneezing on the way home, and I kept reaching for a tissue while I was driving, so Ashley, who is a wild driver, took over. It wasn't fun to keep bumping against the walls. Having your voice drained by screaming over the booming music wasn't fun either as you can imagine.

I turned on the Plasma TV as I snuggled against my pillow under the warm covers.

"Discovery Channel… CNN…" I muttered, uninterestedly flipping channels.

I finally stopped at one channel. It was a re-run. Not just any, "I Love Lucy" re-run either.

That was the most humiliating moment of my life- I exposed my secret. No one else knew, and they're probably doing a mass search for him right at the moment, trying to get something out of him- I don't know. Well. Probably except Kadic… It was a strange thought, but still. I exposed it! And knowing I did it to the whole frigging world makes it loads worse. It was just a small little mess up, but still. Everyone notices everything you do. Every. Little. Move.

I hid my face in my pillow as I sneezed. I waited for the secret to pour out into the entire world again. I hated Teen Scene re-runs.

Oh man. At least Ulrich isn't going to see this…

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With the Gang

(A/N: Yes, it is still the same day: Saturday.)

Ulrich P.O.V.

It was pouring outside. The "raining cats-and-dogs" kind of thing. It pounded down on the streets, and big traffic jams were all over the city. Cars honked noisily, trying to get to their destination on time.

As for me (and Odd), we were just lounging around at the café inside the hotel. Theo was out again since he got his driver's license. Poor him. Knowing Theo, he had blasted the music full-volume to keep himself awake. Or, swearing under his breath. It would be a lot faster if he just walked to the hotel, though it wouldn't be very comfortable, being drenched in rain.

Odd was munching on another helping of cheesecake, sending crumbs onto the floor. I was eating Cheetos, and licking my fingers delightfully.

The cafe's TV was turned on to a Teen Scene. It aired once a week, we later found out. They always had a teen celebrity interviewed. This was a re-run, however, so it had to be from awhile ago…

Odd and I settled down to watch, wondering what celebrity would be interviewed.

(End Ulrich POV)

…

"Hey everyone! Welcome to this week's Teen Scene! We're here live, in lovely beautiful San Francisco!" Mary welcomed cheerfully.

Like last week, cheers, shouts, hoots, and wild applause was heard.

"Today, we have one of the biggest celebrities in the US with us! Probably the most wanted Japanese girl in the whole nation, please welcome, the one, the only, Yumi Ishiyama!"

---Ulrich and Odd gasp, this sudden sentence resulting in Ulrich dropping his bag of Cheetos. Also resulting in many people staring at Ulrich.---

A tall, raven-haired girl appeared. She was wearing a black V-neck shirt, ripped blue jeans, and a black choker with a solitary skull hanging from it.

Yumi came running out to stand next to the hostess.

"Hey everyone!" The raven-haired beauty shouted to the audience, waving, and smiling broadly.

Mary gestured to Yumi to sit down in the chair next to her. The two chairs were separated by a little table (The really small ones, usually to put magazines on… I don't know how to describe it! Apologies!) Then she fired her first question.

"So, Yumi, what's it like being the most wanted Japanese rock star in the nation?"

"Oh, well, I feel the same. It's not like I suddenly received super powers. I almost never get a day to myself, but it's really fun touring and traveling all over the world.," Yumi smiled, "All my fans are awesome, and they're all in my 6th heart. They're always so supportive."

"So who has your other hearts?"

"My parents, my brother, my best friends, my best friends back in France, and Christine."

"Christine?"

"One of my good friends. She deserves a whole heart all by herself. It's tiring having to deal with me every solitary day." Yumi laughed.

"Ah, I see. So how is your brother taking all of this? The fame, the fortune! Having a celebrity for a sister must be thrilling."

"Oh, he's just a normal little brother. He's a pest a lot of the times, constantly borrowing money from me and never paying back. He promises to repay me but never does. He's already been in several interviews, talk shows, and magazines with me. Albeit he already has a fan club!"

(A/N: Yes, I know, Hiroki is supposed to be about 10 years younger than Yumi. Oh well, I changed it to 11 so he will be able to act more snobbish than a 6-year old. xDD)

"So, what are the pros and cons of being famous and being a singer?"

"Well, the paparazzi almost always sneak into my personal life. Every single thing I do is captured in a picture and put on the Internet and exposed to the world. I can never have some time alone, and I'm always busy. Beside the fact of gossip and rumors, being a singer is awesome, I love doing what I like to do best and being known for it."

"Thanks for the insight! Here's another question: We hear that you and JG are going out. Is that true?"

Yumi shook her head vigorously. "No, we're friends."

Mary raised an eyebrow to the audience. "In that case, have you been in any long-term relationship yet?"

"No, I've never been in a long-term relationship before." Yumi said with confidence and pride. Not a tint of red was on her face.

The sentence earned her many gasps from the audience.

--Ulrich sighed with relief--

"Well, we would expect someone like you to have a boyfriend; what happened?"

"I never met my "true love". And I'm much too busy to be able to go find someone I like. I'm satisfied with what I have so far… well… to be honest, I had found someone I really loved a few years ago." Yumi blushed.

"You did? A celebrity crush?"

"Nope."

"Who is it?"

"A close friend from France."

"Are you guys still in touch?"

"Nope, me and Ulric-", Yumi stopped mid-sentence. Instinctively, she slammed her hand onto her mouth. If she hadn't placed her hand onto her mouth, it would have gone by unnoticed. Too bad she had.

-- Ulrich almost toppled off his chair, but Odd helped him back up just in time. He was snickering, and Ulrich's face was beet red. His eyes were large in disbelief.--

Yumi quickly recovered.

"Erm… we don't keep in touch." Yumi was blushing fiercely. She was as red as the fire hydrant right outside the studio.

The audience (what nosy observers w- erm- THEY are…) noticed immediately, and they whispered loudly. Worse, it was captured on National TV. If she weren't being taped, she would have beaten herself up for being such an idiot.

Mary, of course, noticed. She quickly changed the subject.

She blathered on about: Shopping, money, family, boys, accessories, favorites... the list went on forever.

Then came the audience questions.

One (RUDE) teenage guy shouted, "WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?" Others cried out inappropriate things as well.

Yumi just laughed.

--Ulrich cringed, and began mentally screaming at the TV--

The show finally ended, as Yumi managed a weak smile, and a feeble wave.

"Wow. And that was only a half an hour. Quite amusing." Odd commented. The "quite amusing" part was about Ulrich. He was squirming the entire time, emotions crossing his face each time. Odd even took a few pictures, in which he would be adding to his scrapbook very soon. As well as adding it to the Internet, and showing EVERYONE. He smiled happily at the thought.

"Come on. I'm getting myself a cappuccino and then I'm leaving." Ulrich grimaced, and stomped to the cashier.

He politely ordered a cappuccino, which was given to him in less than a minute. The café was known for its incredibly fast service. It was a five star hotel. It wouldn't be one without a nifty café!

Ulrich didn't have any cash with him (and Odd), so he paid by credit.

He slid the credit card through and signed his name. "Ulrich Stern". It was nice and neat.

Ulrich would soon regret that.

"Thanks." He said, walking out.

"WAIT!" The cashier cried, "You're ULRICH? Aren't you the one Yumi was talking about?"

"Uh… I did know her back where I lived…"

"OH MY GAWD. CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?" She screeched, giving him a little notepad.

He scribbled his name, and began rushing out with Odd in tow.

"I'm gonna leave now…"

"OH MY GAWSHHH! THANK YOU SO MUCH! LOOK EVERYONE! I GOT THE GUY'S AUTOGRAPH! YUMI ISHIYAMA LIKES HIM!" She shouted obnoxiously, pointing to his signature.

There were loud voices, all the girls were looking around wildly.

They caught sight of the brunette boy about to leave.

"I WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH!" They suddenly hollered. A rush of people began to form, as many crowded around Ulrich. Odd was singled out.

"HEY! I KNOW YUMI ISHIYAMA TOO!"

"Yeah right, geek." A girl waved him off as she rushed toward Ulrich.

Random, slutty thoughts ran through each girl's mind as they eyed Ulrich. They smiled seductively, giving him their best smile as he signed their arm or their shirt.

He didn't notice any of it. He was too busy frantically signing autographs.

"Let's get out of here!" Ulrich whispered to Odd.

"No way! It's awesome!" Odd replied back, snapping photos uncontrollably.

A brunette girl suddenly came over. She had bouncy curls, a black sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and black Converses. "I WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH!" She smiled sweetly at him, as Odd bewilderingly looked at her. He signed it. The girl swooned. (LOLL! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE…) "What a hottie." She sighed to her friends: An Indian girl, and a Chinese girl.

"I guess." They replied.

"NO! BACK OFF. HE'S MINE!" The girl yelled at the two.

"Um..." Odd's eyes widened. Then he shifted his gaze to Ulrich, who was still signing autographs at the speed of light. Now, he was limited to only signing Ulr- and then scribbles. They cant tell the difference anyway.

Suddenly, a line formed right in front of Odd.

"Uhh…" His wish of being a "ladie's man" had come true. At the moment, he wasn't really enjoying girls fawning over him…

"ULRICH! LETS RUN NOW…" Odd shouted over the commotion, as he raced off.

Ulrich sighed with relief, and caught up to his friend in record time.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of girls still wanting their autograph…

Unfortunately.

"RUN!" Odd screamed for his life.

His arms were up in the air, his eyes bugged out.

He raced through the hallways, with Ulrich in tow.

Odd abruptly stopped, panting for air.

"Go without me, buddy!" Odd shouted.

"Okay!" His best friend continued to run, as the other girls crowded around Odd.

"I DIDN'T MEAN THAT YOU MORON." Odd sighed, looking at the girls that surrounded him.

He was being trampled, girls shaking him, and screaming loudly into his ear.

Odd, with a hundred girls sitting on him and screaming for his autograph, scribbled his name painfully. The people that had received his autograph, raced away, looking for Ulrich.

"AAHHH! GET OFF OF ME." Odd shrieked, shrugging the girls off. They screamed as well.

Guards were coming all around, to see what all the commotion was about.

They found one heck of a scene: A odd-haired boy lying down screaming, with girls sitting on him and asking for his autograph. And the ones that had gotten his autograph were racing away to find a "green-wearing, brunette boy that is a major hottie". That was the description they received when they had asked the girls.

"YO! GET OFF HIM." A buff guard shouted, as he pulled the girls forcefully off Odd.

"THANK YOU THANK YOU!" The blonde-haired boy screamed, throwing himself whole-heartedly on top of him. He hugged the guard tightly, let go, and ran.

The girls followed.

The guard was frozen in place for a few minutes. After the initial shock wore off, he shook his head and sighed, "What the hell…" Then walked off to grab a big hot dog.

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A/N: I was going to write more, and have my beta edit it, but I thought that you had waited and suffered for the next chapter long enough… the entire chapter is crappy… basically the whole mobbing scene. It was horrible, but hey, at least you get something…

Thank you to my reviewers! All of you are way awesome. I wouldn't be writing this story without your encouragements, suggestions, and compliments. You truly are my inspiration!

I'd like to thank: Lune-Solei, British-American-Kitty, xx Painful Bliss xx, RobinRox13, ChinaWings, Fox Kitsune, Knight, animegoddess12345, new moongirl, me, tehrandomkitten, Yumi-Ulrich4ever, Luna (I'm willing to take suggestions! My email/IM is in my profile!), Faunamon, Yayfulness, Animelover, azn sister 92, firehottie, JadeFalcon3, Shayna, everyheart009, babyfarie92, nick, hearts and flowers, yumi fan, Long lost sorrow, Otritzi, Tsukia Malleo, PP Partner (xDDD!), and FishFish!

Muchos gracias! Oh and, if there are any songwriters here, I'd love it if you wrote a song or two for Yumi to sing, I'll give you full credit. If you have any suggestions, don't be afraid to tell me! Oh and, I received a lot of, "When are Yumi and Ulrich going to meet?" questions. Well, I can't give away the plot, can I? You'll have to be patient and wait! But I do give out little sneak peeks to everyone who emails or Ims me.

REVIEW! Sorry for the muy long authors note… I'm also sorry for no Jeremie and Aelita in this chapter… Hopefully, I'll add some fluff in the next chapter!

--Jenn