Disclaimed

=pRiCe RaNge=

MIKAN

When I woke up I was in unfamiliar surroundings. I stood up and slid the curtain to one side. The view was spectacular! "Like what you see Sakura-san?" I felt shivers coming up my spine. I knew that voice anywhere. I grabbed a picture frame near me and flung it at him. He managed to dodge the object and the frame fell with the glass broken into pieces. "Why am I here?" I asked my voice seething with anger. Natsume smirked. "That's not a nice way to treat your boss. Imagine what would happen when the people around you hear about you sleeping in my hotel room." He really was the son of the devil. I tapped my foot. My eyes on the expensive looking rug. "Is this what you do now? Make people miserable?" I mocked. I raised my eyes to meet his. Was that remorse I saw in his eyes? I highly doubt it. "What was I supposed to do when you fainted? Leave you there? Wouldn't that make us both miserable?" He shouted clenching his jaw in evident anger. I remembered, I started this fight but I won't lose either. "Both of us? I would have thought that you'd be ecstatic by the fact that I was suffering! " I said with the same amount of anger. I saw his eyes soften. "Get out before I say something I'll regret Mikan." I stared at him. "Get out!" He screamed anger shaking his body. I put on my shoes and headed for the door.

When I was out of his room I recalled seeing something. I saw the broken picture frame I flung at him. "It was a picture of me." I breathed out in a hoarse whisper. I walked out the hotel with mixed feelings. Outside a car was waiting for me. "Mr. Hyuuga gave orders to bring you back to the set madam." The butler said in a heavy British accent that still seemed bogus. "Never mind I'll catch a cab." I mumbled and slid past him. The butler just shook his head. Luckily a cab was there upfront.

"Jasper National Park please." The cab driver nodded and drove. After about twenty-five minutes we arrived. I pockets for a my wallet. "Oh no! I totally forgot!" I fainted duh? Why would I have my wallet with me. "I'm sorry but will you wait here while I get my wallet?" The cab driver shook his head and handed me a pen. "Please sign this Ms. Sakura my daughter who's in college taking theatre arts thinks the world of you an autograph would be enough." He said a stutter in a word or two. "Who should I make this out to?" "Jenna" I offered a smile and signed the page.

Jenna, Keep on the right track. Express yourself

Love, Mikan Sakura

I handed back him the piece of paper and headed for the location. I managed to sneak in the dressing room without being seen. Someone's bound to notice that I'm wearing clothes from last night. I scurried to my costume rack with my name on it and pulled a sweater and denim jeans. Somehow I changed into it. My hair was a mess! I realized when I stood up in front of the mirror. I heard someone calling me from outside. "Sakura!" "I'm in here!" I said popping my head out of the dressing room. The intern had relief on his face. "Thank God! We've been looking for you all morning." "I'm sorry I was out for a while..." Well I did lose consciousness so I wasn't lying. He nodded. "You should head to hair and makeup. Direct said we'll be starting in an hour."

I finished with hair and makeup in exactly an hour. Good thing I was already in costume.

The entire morning I could feel people taking questioning glances at me. My instincts told me that they were gossiping about me. 'You're getting too worked up Mikan.' I reminded myself. During taping the director made a sly comment when I wasn't able to deliver a line. "Do you need someone to carry you through this?" He said in a demeaning tone. I just smiled back and delivered a perfect take on the second time. All day people who crossed paths with me told me sly remarks. "Ms. Sakura I bet you're freezing." Or "What made you take this movie anyway?" Those people just had nothing better to do.

"I miss Japan." I sighed and walked to my trailer. This day was full of misery. An intern 'accidentally' spilled iced coffee on me. I mean why would she be drinking that on such a cold day? Why did they have to pick Canada? The wardrobe department gave me 3 inch pumps that were ready to break at any minute. And they did break, during the lake take. It took three hours to dry me off which the others weren't so happy about because I delayed the shooting time. Whoopee. When I got to my trailer I took my iPod, notebook, favourite pen, a thicker jacket and headed out to the 'blind spot' I found.

I called it the 'blind spot' because it was out of everyone's sight. I sat on the foot of an ancient pine tree. I switched on my iPod. I drummed my fingers on the notebook and hummed to the tune. I thought back to the time when I was still Japan flipping burgers, all the chaos, the drama, the sakura tree. I smiled at the memories. I flipped the notebook open to a blank page and started writing.

Rising Sun

The old times that provoked something within

Friends who were with me through thick and thin

I knew that the day of separation would come

But not my goodbye to the rising sun.

Oh, how I miss them to this day.

The miles in-between that says

'They're still there in some way.'

That gets by day to day

I sighed and replaced the cap on the pen. I miss them so much. I don't talk to Hotaru much except why she calls to check on how much I sent home. Ruka was too busy to talk most of the time because of his studies and the others were busy looking for jobs or trying to keeping them. I spent a few more minutes there, but went back to my trailer when it got too cold.

The entire week was a living hell. Everyone seemed infuriated with me. I kept pretending not to notice how things were changing for the worst. I finally asked Kimi what was going on because I was done with keeping with everybody's crap. "There's a rumour going around that the only reason you're here is because Mr. Hyuuga has a thing for you and that you don't have an ounce of talent." She said while curling my locks. "What made them think that?" I half shouted. "Well, I heard that someone saw you being carried by one night." She whispered almost inaudibly. I crossed my arms; I'm going to have to talk to 'Mr. Hyuuga' today.

I don't think I've ever felt so nervous before. I thought as I walked up to 'Mr. Hyuuga' while he was alone in the lounge tent. I rechecked for the millionth time if anyone was around. When I saw no one, I walked in. He looked up. His crimson eyes still hit me the same way. Dang it. He looked back at the papers in his hands. "Um, I wanted to discuss something with you." I said shakily. He didn't even look up or speak. "Fine." I spun around my cheeks red in embarrassment and left the tent. I half ran to my trailer.

I sat staring into nothing. He won't even acknowledge me. I realized that no help would come from him. I'm going to have to prove to everyone that I earned this role.

The last month of shooting was almost without incident. I think I did my purpose of proving them wrong. During takes everyone would be crying with me. Today we would be heading back to wherever we all came from, as our director said. The others and I were heading to the studio for the editing ad stuff. I was all too happy to be getting back and get some rest for a month or two before the red carpet premiers.

When I got home I was dumped immediately with pending scripts to accept for my future movie or theatre roles. "I'll decide on that later." I mumbled, passing the loads of paper. I saw the massage light blinking on the telephone. I switched it on and put on a cup of lavender tea that Anna-chan sent me. "Mikan-chan its Misaki-sempai, I just called to tell you the news." There was a short pause which gave me time to wonder. "Tsubasa and I are getting married!..." I almost dropped the kettle I was holding. I laughed. I didn't hear the rest of the message so I replayed it again. ""Mikan-chan its Misaki-sempai, I just called to tell you the news. Tsubasa and I are getting married! We were going to ask if you could come. We'll be sending a formal invitation to you too, but I wanted to be the one to tell you first even if it's not in person. I'll talk to you soon okay? Ja ne(Later). " Beep. I felt bittersweet about the message. I was happy for them of course, but I so wish I was with them now to celebrate it. We all knew they would end up together; despite Tsubasa-sempai's playboy attitude. I heard the kettle whistle so I got back to reality and poured myself a cup. "To Misaki-sempai and Tsubasa-sempai." I said raising the steaming cup. Too bad no one was here to toast it with me.

Misaki-sempai and I did get to talk again but it was a couple of days after, via Skype. While we were talking Tsubasa-sempai who was there told me how difficult it was to think of how to propose to such a mule of a girlfriend; fiancée. I laughed but gulped down arising tears. I wish we were face to face. When I was about to tell them that I met with Natsume here the phone rang. I let the voice mail answer it but it was an intern from the movie calling about the schedule of the promotional shoot we would be doing. "I have to take this. We'll talk soon okay. Give everyone my love. Ja ne." I forced the words out of my mouth and logged out. "Hello?"

"Ms. Sakura I called to inform you about the photo shoot or do you want me to email the information to you?"

"Just email it to me. I'll call if there's anything else."

"Ms. Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"I...um...just want to say that I'm a big fan of your work." I smiled.

"Thank you. I appreciate that, I really do. Just email me the details and I'll get to it."

"Okay."

'Click'

I was glad that I got that phone call. During my talk with Misaki-sempai I was being swayed into the option of leaving all this and going home. That phone call changed that. It made me realize why I'm here. It's because I love doing it and I'm good at it.

Today was the shoot and I was in hair and makeup getting ready. One of my co-actors who was also getting ready brought out a book. I smiled. It was my book of poems. Thing is that person reading it doesn't really like me. Talk about ironic. "How are you enjoying that book?" I asked casually. "Oh this? It helps me relax." She said and continued reading. Later I noticed that she wasn't the only one with a copy of that book. I saw three or four people reading it or in a bag somewhere. I suddenly felt so happy. I mean I knew that people were buying it but I felt like it was on the rack ages ago and they would have forgotten about it now. The funny thing is they don't know that I'm the author. I smiled secretly.

The photo shoot was a blast. Well except for the bed scene which was a bit awkward because the guy was acting very um... aggressively. I was fine with it; I mean we have bed scenes in the movie but Natsume wasn't there when we shot that part of the movie but he's here now. 'Overlooking things.' As he put it. The costume I was in wasn't any help to my situation. It was pretty skimpy. Well not really but they put me in a micro skirt. This industry had me forced me to wear skirts again. I forgot that I said I wouldn't wear skirts but Nat- I mean Mr. Hyuuga knows why I stopped wearing them before, and it's a personal memory. I kept pulling at it the entire time. The second set of frames they wanted the t-shirt off. Mr. Hyuuga was nowhere to be found at the moment so I just complied. I was wearing a push up bra and micro miniskirt in bed with a man. 'If this isn't art I don't know what is.' I thought sarcastically. The guy was on top of me when Mr. Hyuuga came into set. I tried remaining calm but my face gave me away. "Mikan you don't have to feel awkward about this. I think I wouldn't complain if the guy in the bed I was in was that sexy." Why did the shoot director have to be a female? I just smiled and breathed in to lessen the redness of my cheeks. The day went on...

I was at home and my personal shopper was showing me evening gowns. I have to choose five for the premieres that we were attending worldwide. A few minutes into it my mobile started ringing. No caller ID.

"Yes? Hello?"

"Is this Mikan?"

"Who is this?"

There was a couple of dead seconds...

"Hello?" I said again.

"This is Natsume." I walked out to the garden. I didn't want the other people to hear this conversation no matter what it's about.

"Mr. Hyuuga, what made you call?" I asked with a trail of sarcasm in my voice.

He sighed, "Look would you stop that Mikan?"

"Stop what?" I said obnoxiously.

"That!" I didn't shut my mouth closed.

"Good. You know that there's going to be a premier of our movie in Japan don't you?"

"Yeah, but that still a couple of months later. Do you have to talk to me about this now?" I said pretending to be uninterested in what he was going to say next.

"Just listen." He sounded annoyed.

"Hmp."

"I'm thinking that you know about Tsubasa and Misaki-sempai's wedding."

"So?" Although I was surprised at the fact that he was still informed about it.

"Well the Japan premier is the last one I think we could stay a while to attend the wedding."

"I'll think about it."

'CLICK'

I stared at the phone in my hands. There was nothing to think about. I couldn't resist that offer but knowing that Natsume would be there made me think twice. I admit that my feelings for him before haven't blown out completely. Those feelings were dangerous. I don't want to fall into that trap again. We were just so different. Besides, he's so successful now. He doesn't need me in his life just to make it complicated again. To be with him on that trip back home would trigger so many things I forcefully shoved deep in my heart. Feelings that could easily resurface if I go. Natsume why did you have to return to my life? Fine, I'll go.

I went back to the house to finish my gown selection. I know I'll have to choose one more that I'll be wearing to the wedding. I'll message Natsume later or as late as I can.

Preview

HOLLYWOOD, PREMIER NIGHT, RED CARPET:

"MIKAN OVER HERE!" I kept hearing from different directions as I walked down the carpet. I smiled my best and waved to the fans. Natsume and the others were doing the same and soon we were inside the theatre. I heard sniffles behind me during the movie. I had tears in my eyes too." That was me acting." I kept thinking the entire time. The movie ended all too quickly for me. I wiped the remaining tears as everyone applauded.

Someone pulled me while I was walking out of the theatre. I felt EVERY SINGLE emotion a person could have run through me in a split second. XAVIER!

DONE! Sorry guys. I've been preoccupied. Read and review. LOVE YOU ALL!

-trace