Alice: Oh! Finally the third chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 3: My Idol
"I really must thank you for visiting us today Miss Maka," The reporter smiled widely at Maka, who was sitting across from him on a lounge chair.
"Really, there's no reason to thank me." Maka shook her head at him, trying to act shy.
"No really! I must!" Apparently the reporter was a big fan of hers.
Maka grunted to herself, upset at the obvious over exaggeration of the situation at hand, "No really, it's no big deal." She did all she could to stop herself from glaring at him.
"So, Miss Maka, now that all the main questions have been put aside, I would like to ask one more question before you go."
"Yes?" Maka calmed herself and looked at the reporter with curiosity.
"You really must be excited right?" The reporter leaned in and whispered to her.
Maka leaned in and whispered back, "About what?"
The reporter gasped, almost like it was obvious that she would know.
"You know." The reporter laughed out loud and Maka stared at him. "You do know…right?"
"Hmm?" Maka raised her eyebrow.
"That whoever is able to make it past the audition phase of the magazine will be able to compete for the part in the commercial in the secondary audition."
"Yes, I know." Maka nodded her head yes.
"And that the partner of everyone who passes this audition gets to act out with a select celebrity guest."
"Yes, that's right." Maka nodded yes once more, not expecting what the reporter would say next.
"And that celebrity guest is…Soul Eater!!! You must have entered this audition because you are a fan as well yes?"
Maka flinched and her jaw dropped, "Huh?!"
"So my last question would be, of course, are you also interested in becoming an item with the famed singer Soul Eater?" The reporter almost bounced around in his seat.
"Huh?!"
"I was sure I told you that part." Mari, Maka's manager questioned herself.
"Did not." Maka grunted, walking up to her apartment complex.
"I'm really sure I did!" Mari insisted.
"Did not!" Maka yelled back.
Mari gasped, "Wait! Don't tell me you aren't going to take part in the secondary audition if you get selected because of that?! You're too embarrassed to work with your idol and you're giving up?!"
"My idol!" Maka almost gagged at the thought of the word, then she calmed, as she should, and sighed. "I refuse to lose a job just because he's a part of it, are you crazy?"
Mari was confused, "Then why are you complaining?"
"All preparation, because once I take this job, if I make it of course, I will not allow myself to complain," Maka turned towards Mari, "So just this once, let me complain okay, Manager?" Maka smiled and stepped onto the elevator.
Mari grinned, full of pride, "Oh Maka! You've grown so much!" Before Mari could reach out and hug her, the elevator doors closed. Maka laughed and looked up at the ascending numbers that flashed atop the elevator doors.
"Here we go!" Maka did some stretch exercises and bended her knees a few times, "All in preparation, yep."
It's been about a week since I've moved into apartment 707. Nothing special about my work schedule has changed; just that my private life has taken quite a bit…of a turn, you could say.
"Here we go!" Maka inserted her key into the keyhole and opened the door to her apartment. "All clear." She sighed a sigh of relief and shut the door behind her. She slumped up next to it after setting her bag down. She closed her eyes and-
She jumped startled; a loud banging came from the outside of her door. She took off her shoes and turned towards the door, "Yes?" Her eyes widened and she grunted, "How did he know?"
"I hear you're back! So how'd the audition go?" Black Star busted into her apartment, again for the fifth time in the last week, without being invited in in the first place.
"Yes, welcome again Black Star," Maka grinned and said sarcastically.
Black Star walked into the middle room and looked around. "Yo! I'm going to the bathroom kay! Just remembered I've been holding it!"
"You remember after you come over?" Maka sighed and attempted to sit down when another bang on the door made her flinch. "Coming!" She yelled.
She shuffled over to the door and opened it.
"Hey, I've brought the drinks."
Maka saw it coming, but just this once, she had hoped that recording would make him late getting back to the apartment complex, but of course that never happens with the perfect, one try, one recording Soul Eater.
"Recording on schedule," Maka skipped all the other questions she was asking the week before when he suddenly starting coming over and got straight to the point.
"Of course, I always get it on the first try, you know that." Soul grinned and pushed past her, carrying a bag of what appeared to be beer.
"Of course you do." Maka huffed, closing the door behind him. He slipped off his shoes and sat the bag of drinks down onto the table in the living room.
The bathroom door made a noise as it slid open, "Black Star?" Soul turned towards Maka and asked.
"Yeah." She replied.
Black Star came out rubbing the back of his head dreamily, until he spotted Soul that is. He immediately got a huge grin on his face and ran up to him, holding up his hand for a high five, which Soul gave almost without any pause.
"Yahoo!" Black Star yelled out. He grinned ear to ear, and the ruffling of the bag on the table made him grin even wider. "Oh! Soul! You didn't!" He smiled like a kid getting a gift from Santa on Christmas.
"I did, I did." Soul nodded his head and smirked; he sat down on a cushion and grabbed a drink from the bag. He tossed it over to Black Star across from him.
"It's the good stuff!!!" Black Star opened it quickly and took a sip, "Ahh~"
Maka sat to the right of Soul, facing the door of the apartment. Soul opened up a can for himself and took a sip before looking at Maka.
Maka was amused at Black Star's face when the sudden calling of name made her jump.
"Maka." Maka turned to Soul.
"What?" She huffed.
"Drink?" Soul tilted his head to the side as he rested his chin onto the table. The way he looked up at her made her self-conscious.
Maka shook her head no, "I don't drink alcho-"
Before she could even finish, Soul sat straight back up again and tossed her a pink can.
Maka fumbled with it before getting a steady grip on it, she read the side, "Strawberry Milk?" She looked back at Soul. He smirked his ever annoying grin and took another sip of his beer before talking small talk with Black Star.
Maka popped the cap and took a sip; she paused for a moment before looking back up at Soul, grinning as he was with Black Star.
"Hmm," She looked back down, "It tastes sweet."
"And then I busted out and beat him like no tomorrow! You should've been there Soul!" Black Star, now drunk, was making punching motions into the air, telling of his great heroics.
"That right?" Soul grinned, not drunk at all.
"Oh oh Oh!" Black Star grabbed onto Maka's shoulders, "The audition went well right! I know it went well because I am the great Black Star, and you! You are," Black Star pointed out the window, towards the stars, "You are the great Maka!" He grinned.
Maka turned towards him, his arm was slung over her shoulder and his face close enough for her to feel it's warmth. "Yeah, yeah." Maka pushed him away and he landed on his back, fidgeting around like a turtle flipped over onto its shell.
Soul finished his fourth beer and took a deep breath. Black Star immediately sat up straight and whispered to Maka, "Shh! Here it comes! The genius that is Soul!" Maka raised her eyebrow.
Her eyes met with Soul's before he uttered, "Just for you guys."
Maka didn't think it was anything to pay attention to, since she had heard his song a million times in the elevator, but a live performance was definitely a different experience.
His first note rang in her ears, her head jerked towards him to listen.
He closed his eyes and opened again slowly.
Maka couldn't take her eyes off his lips as they formed each one of the mysterious lyrics to his song.
His breathing was steady, his voice hoarse, but somehow it was better that way.
Maka was in a daze, forgetting to take another sip of her drink.
How much of the song he actually sang? Maka wouldn't know, she was in a daze at his first word afterall, the mixture of them all together knocked her into dreamland for good.
"Yahoo~" Black Star clapped over and over.
Maka continued to stare at Soul, not shifting her eyes once.
"That was the goodbye performance guys, see you tomorrow." Soul stood up and grabbed the empty cans, putting them into the bag he brought with him.
"Bye bye Maka!!!" Black Star stumbled out of the door, Soul followed behind him.
Soul was about to close the door when he noticed Maka was still out of it, sitting at the table. He walked back into the apartment and shut the door behind him.
"Hey, Maka?" He got up close to her face and flicked her bangs around before she finally looked at him.
Her hair stood on end as she got up quickly and pushed him out the door, "Okay! Good Night! See You Later!" She closed the door behind him and locked it. She stared at the door for a moment before slamming her head into it and falling on the ground in pain.
"My Idol?" Maka questioned, frustrated at herself, slightly pink in the face.
Alice: That's it for now! Next chapter should be up soon! The grueling competition is up next! Review!