Say You'll Be There
"Tai, what's up? Sit, you're looking pretty stressed," TK pointed at an empty chair.
"Ugh, cause I am. The girls at work are bugging out because some stupid girl group is coming to the mall to promote a makeup line. It's supposed to be evolutionary," Tai sarcastically said.
"That sounds very…girly," TK nodded.
"Yeah. I can't even pretend to understand it," Tai scoffed.
"Hey, can I join you guys?" Izzy slumped down in a chair.
"Help yourself. What can I get you?" TK asked.
"Anything without kiwis…that's all I've been hearing about this afternoon," Izzy grimly said.
"You too?" Tai groaned.
"Yeah. Yolei's been talking my ear off about this dumb girl band that's coming to visit the store and how I'm supposed to know all their names. Maybe you guys could help me out," Izzy pulled a magazine from his back pocket.
"The Kiwis, a girl group from New Zealand…composed of four members: Kelsey, Irene, Whitney, Isabelle. Each girl has their own unique style which when combined together, brings a super sonic sound that is both sweet and tart….oh god. This looks so cheesy," TK skimmed through the magazine.
"Here's how you can remember them. Kelsey, she's the hot blonde one. Irene's the thick goth chick, Isabelle is the pretty in pink one, and Whitney is the redheaded stepchild…oof," Tai stuck his thumb down.
"Nah, I think Whitney's kinda cute," TK shrugged.
"She wears a fuzzy bucket hat. And she has pigtails," Tai sternly said.
"I'm sorry Tai, but maybe you're spending too much time at the makeup store," Izzy crossed his arms.
"Oh yeah! Then which girl do you think is cute?" Tai smirked.
"God, you guys aren't talking about those stupid chicks, are you?" Matt rubbed his temples.
"Maybe," TK pursed his lips.
"Okay, Bang, Marry, Kill. I'd bang the big tiddy goth girl, marry the big tiddy goth girl, and I'd kill the Chucky doll," Matt listed.
"Aren't you supposed to choose a different person for each category?" Izzy asked.
"Come on, have you seen big tiddy goth girl?" Matt licked his lips.
"Her name is Irene," TK tapped his fingers on the countertop.
"Eh, Kelsey's more my type," Tai said.
"Of course she is. You're so vanilla," Matt scoffed.
"Matt, how do you know about this girl group?" Izzy interrupted.
"Easy. They're signing autographs at my store for their latest album," Matt said.
"Sounds like they have a busy schedule," TK whistled.
"Oh my god, oh my god!" Mimi and Sora ran up to the boys.
"I'm assuming you guys heard…," Izzy groaned.
"I'm so excited! I can't wait! I love the Kiwis!" Mimi jumped up and down.
"I kinda like them too…," Sora bashfully smiled.
"Bitch, you love them," Tai smirked.
"Okay, I freaking love them! Whitney is my spirit animal!" Sora screamed.
"Yeesh…why that one?" Tai muttered.
"What? She's so spunky and different! She's not like the other girls," Sora crossed her arms.
"Is she even considered a girl?" Matt grimaced.
"She's not my favorite one either," Mimi wriggled her nose.
"See, even Mimi doesn't like her and she's a girl!" Tai scoffed.
"I don't know, I think you're unhinged. Whitney's cute. I like her style," TK nodded.
"I probably shouldn't speak, but you buy shoplifted clothes from a six-year-old. I don't think you know what style means," Izzy crossed his arms.
"You got burned by a guy who wears pink every day," Matt heckled.
"I don't choose to wear it, it's my dress code at work," Izzy growled.
"I like pink!" Mimi beamed.
"I guess we can all guess who your favorite Kiwi is," Tai flipped through the magazine.
"All signs point to Isabelle," Matt pointed at a petite girl with brown hair fastened in a high, voluminous ponytail and dressed in frilly pink clothes.
"You don't know me…but yes," Mimi crossed her arms.
"She's cute. She kinda looks like you, if you had a spray tan. And obviously glued an obnoxiously big ponytail to the top of your head," Sora remarked.
"I could see it," TK hummed.
"Well, you ruined that one for me," Tai gagged.
"I dunno, I still think she's the cutest of all of them. Everyone else is too…scary," Izzy shrugged.
"Or tall?" Matt smirked.
"You know what? Get bent," Izzy threw his empty coffee cup at Matt.
*vrrrooooom*
"Crap…," Izzy grumbled.
"No littering. You can pay your citation in cash or card at the mall office," Joe stuck a ticket onto Izzy's forehead and wheeled away.
"Great. Now I have to pay a stupid ticket. Thanks. I'll see you around," Izzy tore the ticket off from his forehead and stormed away.
"Hey, what's that saying? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes?" Matt smirked.
"Do you understand the assignment?" an older man sternly looked at Mimi.
"Yeah, totally! This sounds like the best job ever!" Mimi grinned.
"Good, I'm glad. Now, make sure that this gets done by the end of shift. Got it?" the man said.
"Got it!" Mimi excitedly nodded.
"I love the enthusiasm! Here you go. Good luck," the man handed her a clipboard and walked away.
"This will literally be the easiest job ever…once I find someone to teach me how to do it," Mimi watched until the man was out of sight and then walked to the makeup store to visit Tai.
"Hey sister, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be finding a job?" Tai asked.
"I am working right now," Mimi hummed. "So it looks like you guys are really working hard to prepare for the Kiwis."
"Yeah, I don't know what to expect. Turns out there's a bit of a change of plans. They're all kinda upset with each other, so they're only doing the signatures as a group at Matt's store. Isabelle will be doing her makeup launch separately in Izzy's store- that's a mouthful…Irene will be here with her part of the makeup collection, and supposedly the other two girls will be in Sora's store. They're supposed to end the day with a VIP only performance at the cafe," Tai said.
"Oooh, who gets to be VIP?" Mimi asked.
"You have to work at one of our stores, it's a partnership," Tai said.
"What?! That's crap!" Mimi gasped.
"Maybe someone could get you an extra ticket?" Tai shrugged.
"Can you?" Mimi asked.
"Sorry, but I already gave my plus one to Kari," Tai shrugged.
"Dammit," Mimi whined.
"Why don't you ask someone else?" Tai asked.
"Ugh…," Mimi stomped her feet.
"You're such a child," Tai shook his head and walked away.
"Don't pretend it's jet lag! We're only offset two hours at most, you big baby," a tall, blonde girl scoffed.
"Excuse me! We had to fly to Melbourne to pick you up, you spoiled bit-"
"Hi ladies! It's very nice to have you visit! As you can probably tell, you have a lot of super fans waiting to meet you!" Marcus nervously interrupted.
"Oh, yes! That's what's important! The fans!" a petite girl tensely adjusted her large brown ponytail.
"So excited," a pale, curvy girl with dark makeup said in a deadpan tone.
"Hi Irene. My name is Matt," Matt awkwardly stuck his hand out.
"Nice to meet you," the pale girl yawned.
"Hi, I'm Whitney!" a redheaded girl in a bucket hat excitedly introduced herself.
"Sure…so you girls need anything before we let the fans in?" Matt asked.
"Another day of sleep," the pale girl yawned.
"Maybe a direct flight back to Auckland," the petite girl with the large ponytail snottily said.
"Come on you guys, we're in freaking Japan! Isn't that cool?" the redhead, Whitney exclaimed.
"Yikes, tough crowd…," Matt winced.
"There's tampons in the staff bathroom for anyone who needs them?" Marcus bit his lip.
"What are you trying to say?" the small, brunette girl crossed her arms.
"Uh…," Marcus paused. "You girls just seem to be a bit uncomfortable? Is it you know, that special lady thing?"
"Fair dinkum, you're a straight up drongo, aren't you?" the blonde girl narrowed her eyes.
"Uh…I don't know? I'm taking it's not a good thing though, is it?" Marcus winced.
"Listen, we're cranky because us three are from New Zealand, and we had to go out of our way to pick this girl up because she's from Australia, and then fly another 13 hours or so? I think considering the waiting times in the terminal, we spent nearly an entire day getting here, when she could have flown to us, or we could have flown separately! So that is why we're upset, you muppet!" the petite girl scoffed.
"Ignore Izzie, she's just being a ratbag- always packing a sad, ya know?" Whitney nervously chuckled.
"I have no idea what you said and yet I have a feeling I understand you…I also have a friend named Izzy, so for some reason, that expression seems to fit him already," Matt tapped his chin.
"I highly doubt that. Maybe it's the people he's around. I promise you, I wasn't always crazy," the petite girl stuck her nose in the air and obnoxiously sat on a stool.
"Girls, we severely apologize if we got off on the wrong foot. All we want to do make sure that your visit is as comfortable as possible, especially considering the effort it took for all of you to get here. That means a lot to all your fans. Is there anything reasonable that us underpaid retail workers can do to show you our appreciation and sincere apologies?" Marcus asked.
"Please remember the part where we're underpaid," Matt emphasized.
"Do you guys have a Cafe Europa here? We missed our morning coffee and it'll be a long day," Irene yawned.
"Yes! We'll make sure you're well replenished during your time here! What do you guys want?" Marcus snapped his fingers.
"This is gonna be a long day," Matt groaned.
"I wish I could have a day off. I can't believe the Kiwis are gonna be here for today only and I'm here all day," Catherine sighed.
"Welcome to the club. It would be nice if we could have another person on staff," Zoe sighed.
"Didn't our manager say we could get another person?" Kari asked.
"Yeah, but where are we gonna find another person on short notice? We don't have the time to keep up with these orders, let alone train someone. Whoever we do hire should hopefully be able to keep up with our speed," Zoe put her hair up in a ponytail.
"Is that what you guys thought of me when I first started?" Kari asked.
"Look at you now, you're a superstar!" Catherine smiled.
"That didn't really answer my question," Kari frowned.
"Why dwell on the past when you can enjoy a cookie?" Zoe pulled a cookie from the bakery case.
"I'm not hungry," Kari shook her head.
"Hello, how's everyone doing?" Mimi smiled.
"Oh god…," Kari muttered to herself.
"Hi, welcome to Cafe Europa! How can we help you?" Zoe smiled.
"Actually, how can you help me?" Mimi winked.
"I'm sorry, isn't that what I asked?" Zoe raised an eyebrow.
"I'll take care of this…hi Mimi, what brings you in today?" Kari sighed.
"So, as you may or may not know, I am the health code inspector and I was sent to do a surprise inspection for your restaurant. However, since I don't feel like doing all of this, how about I get a free unicorn frappe and I'll pass you guys?" Mimi sweetly smiled.
"Just so you know, I'm confident in our store's cleanliness. I'm only doing this because we don't have time for these shenanigans. Pass us, and then I'll make your drink," Kari crossed her arms.
"You got it!" Mimi marked off a bunch of checkmarks and signed her name. "Congrats, you passed your surprise inspection! Frappe please!"
"Coming right up, thanks," Kari grabbed the paper from Mimi and proceeded to the blenders.
"Hey Kar, you okay?" Zoe asked.
"I'm fine. Just annoyed. It's gonna be a long day," Kari forced a smile.
"I got it from here. Just make sure that paper's file safely in the back," Zoe poured the drink into an empty cup.
"Thanks," Kari said and walked into the kitchen.
"Here you go! Thank you!" Zoe handed Mimi her drink.
"No, thank you!" Mimi winked and walked off.
"I'm gonna need help, big time," Matt groaned.
"They can't be that bad," Sora said as she helped balance a tray of coffee cups.
"No? You have no idea what it's like trying to stabilize the moods of four incompatible girls who have been moved up and down the equator for their career. I can't imagine that would be healthy for anyone. What I don't understand is how they even are a group, they don't seem to like each other," Matt heaved.
"It's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand," Sora shrugged.
"I guess that's true. You don't have many girl friends, so I guess you don't understand it either, eh?" Matt smirked.
"Shut up! Yes I do!" Sora exclaimed.
"Oh yeah? Tell me," Matt raised an eyebrow.
"There's Mimi…," Sora paused.
"Which you just met this year," Matt smirked.
"And Kari of course," Sora shrugged.
"Is she really your friend? Or more or less your friend's little sister though? Like how often have the two of you spent time together doing girl things?" Matt asked.
"Wow…I guess you're right. Kari and I haven't really hung out like on a one-on-one basis at all," Sora frowned.
"Doesn't that weird you out a bit?" Matt asked.
"I never really thought about until now. I didn't care whether my friends were boys or girls, but maybe I should care," Sora frowned.
"Hey, for the record, I didn't put anything in your head! I just pointed something out, you don't have to do anything…well, except help me carry these drinks to my store. These girls are demanding," Matt huffed.
"Girls, am I right?" Sora nervously chuckled.
"Do something….," Miki whispered in Tai's ear.
"Like what? She looks like she'll bite my…something off," Tai hissed back.
"So we're totally excited that you're here to help showcase your exclusive palette! I wish I could pull off your color story, but it is a bit dark for me, but it's totally hot! I think it's definitely up Miki's speed though! Oh my gosh, and I love your music! You guys are so awesome and you guys all have great style-"
"Hey Megumi, why don't you go find a Diet Coke for us? I'm pretty sure Irene would like something refreshing after a long shift of signatures," Tai interrupted her.
"Oh yeah, totally! I'll be back!" Megumi stammered and walked back to the stockroom.
"Thank you. She talks a mile a minute and I'm still trying to adjust from the other store," Irene shook her head.
"It's okay. Hopefully this next block will be a little more easygoing. All you have to do is sit at this table and hand people your makeup, which they'll ring up with us. You literally don't have to do anything else, except take the occasional photo or maybe do a signature. But rest assured, I already hid all the pens at the store," Tai showed the girl his apron pocket.
"I'm impressed. I like you much better than the blokes from the other store already. They did buy us a lot of Cafe Europa, so I'll give them points for that," Irene smiled.
"You want us to get you Cafe Europa? The waits are kind of long but my sister works there-"
"That's not necessary, I like my Diet Coke too. Like you said, they're quite refreshing," Irene said.
"So, how's everything so far?" Miki walked over to them.
"I like him, he's quite nice. I'm impressed," Irene gave her a slight nod.
"I'm glad to hear that. Well, before we do our public launch, I want to be the first person to buy your collection. Megumi is right about one thing- your color story fits my everyday look best," Miki grabbed a couple of makeup products. "Oh, and would you mind signing my eyeshadow palette?"
"Uh…," Tai turned red.
"You didn't hide all the pens," Miki shook a metallic marker.
"You're in big trouble," Irene shot Tai a stern look.
"I didn't-"
"Don't get mad at him. I'm his manager, I had to make sure he missed one pen. But rest assured, we won't have any on the sales floor," Miki said.
"Okay, Miss Manager. Make all these pens disappear now, I wouldn't want you girls to be the reason I develop carpal tunnel at such an early age," Irene scribbled on Miki's makeup package.
"Got it. Much appreciated. Here Tai," Miki handed him her final pen.
"Ready for showtime?" Tai asked.
"Never, but let's go," Irene cracked her knuckles.
"Hey bestie, what's going on?" Matt casually strolled in the store.
"Matt, I'm sorry but I think you've caught me at the wrong time. Can you come back later?" Sora whispered.
"What's going on?" Matt frowned.
"No! I'm not going to do it! Screw this!"
"No worries, she'll be right," Whitney consoled Sora.
"Thanks, I hope so," Sora nodded.
"Hey you! You decided to be a show pony and now people want to see you! This is a piece of piss right here, so why don't you take a break from being up yourself for once?" Whitney pounded at a dressing room door.
"Okay, I don't think that's helping," Sora gently eased Whitney away from the dressing room.
"She's so obnoxious! Do you know how annoying it is to have the whole world revolve around you?!" Whitney shouted over the dressing room.
"Excuse me?! I have it hard too! You girls pick on me all the time for being from Australia!" the tall, blonde girl stepped out of the dressing room.
"Is that the only thing that you're upset about? Cause if so, I think you've got it kinda easy," Matt tilted her head.
"You're not helping," Sora whispered.
"See? Even this stranger gets it! You don't have it harder than any of us, Kelsey! We have to accommodate for you, and it's not fair! In fact, you're not even the best singer- if we were to go solo, you wouldn't be able to carry your own!" Whitney protested.
"Yes I would!" Kelsey screamed.
"Looks only go so far! Just admit, you're not the most talented in the group, or even second talented!" Whitney said.
"Oh yeah? Then what does that make you?" Kelsey smirked.
"Piss off!" Whitney grabbed a pile of bras and threw them in Kelsey's face.
"Nice! What else can I expect from a twelve-year-old?" Kelsey stuck her tongue out.
"I'm not twelve, I'm fourteen!" Whitney flipped her off and stomped out of the store.
"Wow, I didn't know she was that young," Sora exclaimed.
"Me neither. I guess explains a bit," Matt grimaced.
"Explains a lot. I'm sorry she's such an ankle biter…now that she's gone, maybe I'll be able to do this event on my own," Kelsey sighed.
"Did you just antagonize Whitney until she left?" Sora asked.
"We all do that. Besides, everyone knows no one really comes to see her," Kelsey adjusted her outfit.
"I mean…to be honest, girl's got a point. I thought the goth chick would have been here. That's why I came over," Matt pursed his lips.
"That's really mean of you girls. Even if you might be correct for the most part, there are Whitney fans. I'm one of them," Sora said.
"Are you okay? Do you have friends?" Kelsey looked concerned.
"Yes, I do. I have plenty of them. In fact, this idiot is supposed to be one of them," Sora smacked Matt in the arm.
"Oh yes, you were the bloke who got us the Cafe Europa in the morning. Again, thank you. We were all a bit knackered, so it was a nice perk," Kelsey winked.
"Anything to make you happy. Seriously with all my heart," Matt awkwardly smiled.
"You're so kind," Kelsey gently slid her hand down his arm.
"Yeah, that's what he was being," Sora whispered.
"Uh oh…," Kelsey immediately grimaced.
"Kelsey, are you okay? You don't look too good," Sora frowned.
"Excuse me, I'll just be a minute-" Kelsey squealed and ran back into the dressing room.
"Hi, I got a customer!" TK excitedly smiled.
"No, I don't want a smoothie! I'm only here to sit," Whitney pulled her bucket hat down.
"Oh…sure. Wait! Aren't you in that girl group?" TK asked.
"Yeah. I'm the redheaded stepchild no one wants," Whitney crossed her arms.
"That's not true!" TK started slicing up fruit.
"Oh yeah? If that's the case, then how come everyone's mall visit is doing well without me? It's like that every time! Izzie and Irene always sell makeup palettes, and Kelsey always models some stupid clothing cause she's skinny and tall. I'm just like the kid sister in everyone's way," Whitney scoffed.
"I'm sorry you feel that way. For what it's worth, you're my favorite Kiwi. And my friend likes you too. She works at the bra store," TK turned on the blender and poured the smoothie into a cup.
"Really?" Whitney asked.
"Yeah, we like your sporty style, and you're a good dancer," TK said. "Here, on the house. I call this drink a Kiwi Invasion. It's got kiwis, green apple, and honeydew."
"Ta. That's quite interesting," Whitney drank her smoothie.
"I hope you like it," TK awkwardly hovered over her.
"It's nice. Like I said, interesting," Whitney nodded.
"TK, TK, TK…never mind!" Sora grabbed TK by the face and winced.
"Ow, what?" TK rubbed his jaw.
"There was an emergency in the dressing room…anyways, Kelsey can't perform tonight!" Sora paced back and forth.
"What do you mean she can't perform? She's not throwing a grand wobbly, is she?" Whitney pounded her fist on the table.
"She got sick…I was hoping that maybe TK would be able to disguise as her for a while, but he doesn't have her cheekbone structure," Sora asked. "Ugh, I hope Matt didn't leave yet!"
"What? What makes you think I would even agree to dressing up like Kelsey? And what would make you think Matt would do that?" TK gasped.
"Listen," Sora pulled TK to the side and whispered in his ear. "All these girls have done since they've gotten here is argue with each other. We're just trying to make today go as smoothly as possible before we send them back home, but it won't be easy to do when one of the girls had explosive diarrhea all over my dressing room!"
"Oooh, do I want to know how that happened?" TK winced.
"I don't want to know," Sora grunted.
"Kelsey got explosive diarrhea?" Whitney grinned evilly.
"Great…I wasn't supposed to let on," Sora huffed.
"I can't wait to tell the other girls! I'll be back," Whitney heckled.
"You in trouble," TK hummed.
"No shit…," Sora huffed.
"You expect me to work by myself on a day like this?!" Izzy gasped.
"Well, I couldn't let Angie be here and make us look bad. I just thought it would be better if she wasn't in the way," Yolei grabbed her purse.
"But what about you? I could use some backup! You're clinically insane!" Izzy exclaimed.
"Look, if you do this, I'll make it up to you big time! Promise!" Yolei said.
"I want it in writing," Izzy grabbed a piece of printer paper and a pink pen. "Write it down. Now."
"Ugh, you're so serious. Okay. I, Yolei Inoue, will compensate Mr. Izumi in whatever reasonable way he finds suitable if he works on this date alone for the Kiwi launch and does not bother me. Signed, Yolei. Happy?" Yolei scribbled on the paper and slammed the pen on the counter.
"Satisfied. Now you can go," Izzy stuck the paper in his pocket.
"Bye!" Yolei happily trotted off.
"Hi, so I'm assuming this is where I'm supposed to be?" the petite girl with the large brown ponytail sauntered into the store.
"Hi…," Izzy stammered.
"Hi, I'm Isabelle, but you can call me Izzie," the girl extended her hand out.
"Izzy," Izzy said.
"Yeah, I know. That's my name," the girl slowly nodded as they shook hands.
"No, it's my name too," Izzy turned red.
"Oh, that's interesting. That'll be fun," Izzie hummed.
"So, you're part of that girl group that's supposed to perform at the mall later tonight?" Izzy asked.
"Yes. Say you'll be there, right?" Izzie smiled.
"Uh, I don't know. I don't have a VIP pass. Isn't that for exclusive guests only?" Izzy turned red.
"Yeah, but that includes employees of the stores we visit that day too. So I better see you there," Izzie said.
"I didn't know I would be included in that group. I never received a pass," Izzy frowned.
"It kinda sounds like your boss might have taken yours and not have told you. If you describe her to me, I'll let the security know so she can't get in," Izzie smirked.
"As tempting as that is, I don't think I can pull that off. I'd rather not play her games. Also, I feel like if she found out, she'd kill me," Izzy sighed.
"That wouldn't be a problem, I'll make sure of it! After all, how else are you going to enjoy an intimate show when someone like that is also in the small audience? And personally, I don't think I can perform knowing that someone out there is a ticket stealer," Izzie pulled a lanyard out and tucked it in Izzy's shirt pocket.
"Uh…thanks?" Izzy stammered.
"No problem. All I want from you is a promise that you'll be there. So, who should security keep an eye out for?" Izzie smiled.
"Her name is Yolei Inoue, she's tall, has straight purple hair, and wears glasses," Izzy winced.
"Thank you!" Izzie happily tapped at her smartphone.
"I can't believe I sang like a canary," Izzy gasped.
"Honey, please! That was nothing! You wanna talk singing? I'm a soprano, but I can hit conaltro notes too. Rolling Stone actually says I have a vocal range comparable to Mariah Carey. Wanna hear?" Izzie excitedly asked.
"No that's okay, I believe you," Izzy shook his head.
"Come on, people are amazed when they see that it's not all studio magic! The secret is doing vocal exercises every day and before every performance too, so I don't overextend myself. Watch, eeeeee, aaaahhh, ooohh, noom noom noom noom noom noom noo-"
*buzz buzz buzz*
"Shoot, I wonder what that could be. Oh…," Izzie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and immediately grimaced.
"Is everything okay?" Izzy looked concerned.
"I have to go. There's an emergency at La Salsa. I'll see you at the concert, right?" Izzie asked.
"Sure, I'll be there," Izzy patted himself on his shirt pocket.
"Keen! I'll see you later," Izzie kissed him on the cheek and dashed off.
"Irene, is everything okay?" Tai handed her a Diet Coke.
"No…," Irene looked at her phone. "Whitney just texted me she and Kelsey got into an argument at La Salsa, and nek minit, Kelsey got sick all over the dressing rooms. I guess she didn't have time to rush to a toilet. Maybe we should add nappies to our packing list for next time," Irene tapped at her phone.
"Did she poop?" Megumi whispered.
"According to Whitney, but she's been one to spin all the yarns. After all, she is a child," Irene pressed her lips together.
"Maybe someone should check up on Kelsey," Tai winced.
"I guess you're right. I'm sorry, but I should go," Irene got up from her chair.
"I'll come along if you need help," Tai said.
"Thanks mate, I appreciate it," Irene grabbed his hand.
"Yeah, you should go. Go check out on your friend," Miki nodded.
"And tell us all the details later. I wanna hear them all," Megumi whispered in Tai's ear.
"We're leaving," Tai gave her a stern look.
"Bye, have fun!" Megumi cheerfully shooed them away.
"I highly doubt this will be fun," Irene grumpily stomped to the store.
"It's okay. We'll fix this and you guys will be able to perform and end the night smoothly. We'll have a good night," Tai nonchalantly said.
"I swear, you have been the most competent person I've met the entire time we've been on tour. I wish I could just take you with me everywhere. You're so self-assured," Irene sighed.
"Why thanks. You're a pretty cool chick yourself," Tai blushed.
"You're the first person to actually tell me that to my face. Most people just assume because of the way I dress, but other than my band mates, you have been the only person I've actually engaged a long conversation with," Irene smirked.
"Really?" Tai asked.
"Yeah. I mean, I do talk with fans, but it's always the same talk- I love your hair, I love your makeup, I love your clothes, and I have to smile and be polite. I appreciate the kind words, but it's the same shallow conversation. You have been quite refreshing," Irene smiled.
"Thank you. It's a shame that it'll end once we have to check out the crime scene though. Look," Tai gestured at a crowd of people huddled around the dressing room area.
"Tai! Thank goodness you're here! I'm trying to get people to leave, but they won't budge! And Matt's not much of a help!" Sora gasped.
"Hey, I'm trying!" Matt yelled. "Come on! Everyone, there's nothing to see here!"
"This is a public space! You can't tell us what to do!" a girl screamed.
"Who are you anyways? You look like a bum!" another girl yelled.
"Jesus…," Tai huffed. He climbed on top of a display table of panties and whistled loudly. "Listen up everybody! We just heard about a bomb in this store so it's best if everyone just leave calmly while we investigate!"
"A bomb? Oh my god!" a girl shrieked.
"Calmly! Everyone leave calmly…," Tai sternly pointed at the stream of customers as Matt led them out of the store.
"Unorthodox, but it works…," Sora lowered the gate to the store.
"Ew, how grotty…," Izzie grimaced as she opened the dressing room door.
"Stop! Leave me alone!" Kelsey cried.
"How did this happen?" Irene asked, avoiding eye contact with the other girls.
"I don't know. It must have been something I ate? But I don't remember eating much today. All I had was two large pumpkin spice lattes- oh no! I can't have milk!" Kelsey gasped.
"Nononono! That's not my fault! You didn't tell me to order non-dairy!" Matt quickly stuttered.
"No, of course not! I forgot, I assumed you would know. I don't know why," Kelsey sighed.
"And you couldn't taste that it was different?" Whitney made a face.
"I was actually wondering why it was the best latte I've had in a while," Kelsey frowned.
"You're such a wally, you know…," Whitney pressed her fist to her forehead.
"So what are we going to do? We can't put on a show without you, and we can't cancel either. It won't be a good look," Izzie threw her hands up in the air.
"We don't have a choice! I don't feel good," Kelsey groaned.
"Actually, I have an idea. And it involves Matt," Sora rubbed her chin.
"What? No…no, that's not happening!" Matt shook his head.
"Please! We'll make it up to you somehow," Irene stroked his arm gently.
"Okay….you drive a hard bargain," Matt goofily said.
"Ugh, boys…," Sora sighed as she shuffled through some track suits.
"Curly Q's…The Doctors are Out," Mimi tapped her pen against her chin.
"Hi Mimi, how can we help you?" Davis popped up from his stool.
"Hey Davis, I am the surprise health inspector today and I'm here to inspect your business," Mimi shook her clipboard.
"Huh, okay. We just had a health inspection a couple of weeks ago, and we passed. See?" Davis pointed to a sign that read "D-" in big font.
"Yeah, about that…you have to improve that. And you can, with me on your side. Give me something I want, and I'll give you something you want," Mimi winked.
"Uh…Rina might kill me, but the girls might kill me more if I don't. This is so tricky. Do I have to? Isn't there something else I can do?" Davis bit his lip.
"I mean if you can't, I guess I'll have to fail your little business then. Such a shame, I thought you guys had potential," Mimi teasingly clicked her pen.
"Wait, I'll do it!" Davis hopped over the counter and pulled Mimi closer to him. He pressed his lips against hers and stuck his tongue in her mouth.
"Davis?!" Rina gasped.
"Oh my god!" Mimi wiped her mouth with her arm.
"Rina! It's not what it looks like! She was threatening to shut my booth down!" Davis protested.
"What a lame excuse! I got us tickets to see the Kiwis VIP show later tonight, but you can take your other girlfriend instead," Rina slammed two passes on the counter and stormed off.
"Oh my god, thank you!" Mimi squealed.
"Rina, no! Come back!" Davis chased after Rina.
"Check, check, check…A+. It came at a cost, but I get a ticket!" Mimi happily scribbled on a checklist and tossed it inside the kiosk. She grabbed one of the passes and skipped away.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Matt fidgeted with the collar of his glittery tank top.
"It's actually eerie how much you resemble Kelsey, especially when you wear makeup," Izzie frowned.
"Hey, wasn't Kelsey the one you thought was hot?" TK whispered in Tai's ear.
"So?" Tai pressed his lips together.
"You have a crush on Matt, you have a crush on Matt…," TK jeered.
"No I don't, shut up!" Tai punched TK in the arm.
"Boys, is there a problem here?" Sora pinched both of them by the ears.
"No," the boys whimpered.
"You've got our set list down pat. All you have to do is lip sync Kelsey's vocals, which will be played along with the instrumental. That's it. Don't do anything extra, no talking, no moving. Just like we practiced," Irene said.
"Okay," Matt took in a deep breath and sat down on a stool.
"G'day everyone! We're so happy to perform for you special crowd of people! It's not too often that service workers get appreciated often, so we want to make this performance a night you'll remember!" Izzie stood up on stage.
"Funny how she says that, but we're getting kicked out of our own store," Zoe huffed as she finished cleaning off the countertops.
"Hey, I'm pretty sure those girls had nothing to do with us not being able to see the show. I bet if they had control over the situation, they'd want us to enjoy it too," Kari washed her hands.
"Easy for you to say. You got a spare ticket," Catherine teasingly smiled.
"Kari, hurry up. The show's about to start!" Tai leaned over the counter.
"Oh shoot. I forgot, I can't make it…but Catherine, you should go. Take my ticket. You've met Tai before, haven't you? He's a nice guy," Kari handed Catherine her pass.
"I have met Tai plenty of times. Are you sure?" Catherine looked at Kari in surprise.
"Yeah! You guys should go together! You'll have a better time than I will! I guarantee it!" Kari nodded.
"Thank you! That's so kind of you," Catherine hugged Kari.
"Now Tai, you better take care of Catherine and make sure she has a good time. Remember, she's my coworker so I don't wanna hear anything negative from her," Kari mockingly scolded Tai.
"Hi Catherine. Come on, we don't want to be late," Tai shyly smiled.
"Thanks again, Kari," Catherine grinned and walked off with Tai.
"Kari, what the hell? Why did you give the ticket to her? I wanted to go sooo bad too!" Zoe whined.
"I know, but I only had one ticket. Also, I think my brother needs a good concert buddy, and Catherine seemed like a good fit," Kari grabbed two orangeades from the back counter.
"Why do you have two drinks? Did you have plans after all?" Zoe smirked.
"Yeah. I'm meeting up with a friend," Kari shrugged.
"Is it who I think it is?" Zoe excitedly asked.
"You have a good night, okay?" Kari smiled.
"It is! You cheeky girl!" Zoe gasped.
"What do you mean? This is a real pass! See the holograms?!" Yolei screamed at the burly bouncer.
"I'm sorry, but we can't let you in," the bouncer ripped the pass in Yolei's hands.
"You big, fat jerk! Do you know what it took me to get this ticket? I had to work to get this ticket!" Yolei punched the bouncer in the abs, but he didn't budge.
"Yeah, it seems like you work hard. Now leave," the man delicately grabbed Yolei's fist and pushed her away. "Next!"
"Hi!" Mimi handed the bouncer her ticket.
"Sorry, can't let you in either," the bouncer shook his head.
"What? Why the hell not?!" Mimi gasped.
"These passes are invalid. Do you girls know each other?" the bouncer pointed at Yolei and Mimi.
"She shops at my store a lot and sexually harasses my male employees," Yolei said.
"No I don't! You do! And you only have one employee at your store," Mimi crossed her arms.
"Wrong, I just hired a new girl!" Yolei said.
"What? And you didn't think of hiring me?"
*vroooom*
"Oh no, I don't like the sound of this…," Mimi paused.
"Hi, what seems to be the problem here?" Joe stepped down from his motorized scooter.
"These two girls have been caught trying to sneak inside the VIP show using stolen passes," the bouncer said.
"What? They're not stolen! I got them from my store!" Yolei gasped.
"How did you get your pass?" Joe looked at Mimi.
"A friend gave it to me," Mimi said.
"Likely story," the bouncer sarcastically said.
"Alright, girls. But I'll have to take you to mall jail for the rest of the night. Come on," Joe handcuffed the girls together and dragged them away.
"What? That's literally not even fair!" Mimi whined.
"Wow, I'm so beat from yesterday. That was a lot to take in," Matt yawned.
"It honestly was a chaotic day. Who knew that a girl group could shake things up, even for a couple of hours?" Izzy nodded his head.
"Yeah. For example, we know for sure that Tai is into blondes….like Kelsey," TK smirked.
"No, I'm over Kelsey! So over that!" Tai blurted.
"What happened with Kelsey?" Izzy asked.
"You don't want to know," Tai crossed his arms.
"A lot. But also, the fact that Matt can really be her doppelgänger in a pinch," TK flashed a devilish smile.
"Can it, ratbag," Matt shook his fist.
"I wish I got to see the show," Mimi pouted.
"What do you mean? You grabbed the tickets like it was the last golden burrito," Davis crossed his arms.
"The bouncer wouldn't let me in! He told me the tickets were stolen and then I had to go to mall jail with Yolei!" Mimi pouted.
"Boo hoo," Davis sarcastically snarled.
"Hey, is everything okay between the two of you?" Sora asked.
"No! She's the reason Rina and I broke up. I hope you're happy," Davis turned his back away.
"What happened?" Kari raised an eyebrow.
"Don't blame me! You kissed me!" Mimi yelled.
"What?!" Izzy choked on his coffee.
"Why would you do that?" Matt flicked Davis in the head.
"She was threatening to close my booth down if I didn't give her what she wanted. I didn't want the girls getting mad at me!" Davis exclaimed.
"Yeah…that sounds bad," TK frowned.
"I wanted curly fries! Warm, crispy curly fries!" Mimi pressed her fingers against the palm of her other hand.
"That's not what you insinuated," Tai shook his head.
"He works at a fried food place!" Mimi exclaimed.
"But we don't sell fried food anymore. You know that! You've visited us many times!" Davis yelled.
"Miss Tachikawa, can I have a word with you?" an older man hovered over Mimi.
"Hi…what's up?" Mimi nervously laughed.
"How have you been doing with the assignments you've been given?" the man asked.
"Fabulously!" Mimi faked a smile.
"Then you don't mind if I see the clipboard?" the man pointed at the table.
"Sure!" Mimi said.
"Miss Tachikawa…all of these establishments were supposed to be inspected YESTERDAY! Why didn't you do that?!" the man clenched his jaw.
"You see, I was in the middle of trying to get VIP tickets to the Kiwis private concert, and like they're a total big deal. You wouldn't understand cause you're old and whatever-"
"I don't think you understand! I don't care about some concert! You were supposed to DO YOUR JOB! You're fired!" the man turned purple in the face.
"Don't get upset with me, I didn't even get to go. My tickets were fake or whatever," Mimi winced.
"FIRED! Don't talk to me!" the man stormed off.
"Mimi, you're going to run out of places to work eventually…aren't you worried about that?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, you probably should start strengthening your work ethic if you actually want to keep a job," Kari frowned.
"Maybe you just haven't found a job that's the right fit for you yet," Tai paused.
"No, don't encourage that bullcrap Tai. Do any of us really like our jobs?" Izzy asked.
"It's not bad," Matt shrugged.
"I like mine," Davis said.
"Yeah," Tai nodded.
"Same," Sora smiled.
"Eh, it's decent," TK shrugged.
"Could be better, but I don't hate it," Kari said.
"Seriously? Am I the only one who hates my job?" Izzy asked.
"Sounds like it," Davis nodded.
"Look, point is not every job is perfect, but you just have to deal with it. This bouncing between jobs and getting fired often is not a good look, it's going to affect your future," Izzy said.
"And eventually, you'll run out of places in the mall. You need to cut it out and grow up," Kari crossed her arms.
"Why does it have to be so hard though?" Mimi whined.
"Too bad professional baby isn't a job," Tai muttered.
"Actually-"
"No Matt, we don't need to know," Sora held her finger up.