Mai's POV-
I smiled and glanced back at the rest of the team who seemed to be waiting for my explanation. But before I could open my mouth, a small beep alerted me to a reminder on my cell. Fishing the phone out of my pocket, I skimmed over the reminder and gasped. I was going to be late for work! I think Brittany realized this at the same time I did because she quickly headed towards the front door. I turned to everyone and gave them an apologetic smile.
"I'll tell you guys everything later." I promised. "I have to get going. Duty calls." I chuckled a bit at my own joke and headed out the front door, picking my duffel bag up on the way. The others stared at me in confusion as Luella stopped me from leaving.
"Wait. At least stay at our house while you are here. It's been so long." she pleaded. I was about to refuse when Luella gave me her puppy dog face.
"I, uh, alright." I said in defeat, dropping my bag. "I'll be back around five!" I called out before leaving the house. Brittany hailed a taxi and we quickly gave him the address and we zoomed off. The man stopped in front of a big building titled REDWOOD SINGING INDUSTRIES. I smiled and handed the driver his money before stalking into the building. A wave of cool air greeted my as I stepped through the revolving doors and into the luxurious lobby. Walking up to the front desk, I said to the woman, "I have an appointment with Ms. Fria under Taylor Veran." The lady glanced up at me before shuffling through some papers, adjusting her glasses.
"Ah, here it is. Go right on up to floor seven, the third door on the right. Ms. Fria is expecting you." I flashed the secretary a quick smile before entering the elevator. Brittany chatted with the secretary as she waited for my appointment to finish. Pressing the silver button for floor seven, I waited in silence as the elevator carried me up the building. Meanwhile, I checked my phone and found out I had three texts:
Message 1-
From: Takigawa
To: Mai
Hey Mai-chan! What was with the drama today? Where r u? Come back! Naru's going crazy without his tea! X(
I chuckled a bit at that one and typed back a quick response.
From: Mai
To: Takigawa
Haha. I'll tell u when I get back. I'm at work, FYI. As for Naru...deal with him for now. I'll make his precious tea when he gets home. ;)
Message 2-
From: Yasuhara
To: Mai
Mai, this time for the case that we have, I need to go to the library and everyone's to busy to tell me. ;( Do u know where it is?
From: Mai
To: Yasuhara
Umm, from the house, go down the lane and take a left and then a right. It's a huge building so you shouldn't be able to miss it.
Message 3-
From: Naru
To: Mai
Mai, you owe me a big explanation along with a big cup of tea.
I didn't reply to that one. The elevator doors opened and I walked outside, knocking softly on the door. Hearing a small 'come in', I twisted the handle and stepped into the office. A young lady, around twenty-two, was seated at the desk in the middle of the room. She smiled at the sight of me and stood up, holding her hand out.
"Amber Fria." When she spoke, I was amazed at how soft her voice was. I shook her outstretched hand.
"Taylor Veran. I'm pleased to meet you." I gave her a small smile, all of a sudden nervous. Here I was, standing in front of the most known singer in the world, trying to get some of my songs recorded! Yes, you heard right. Me, Mai Taniyama (aka Taylor Veran), is a professional singer.
"Taylor," Ms. Fria started, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Before we begin, I would like to know a little bit about you." "No, not anything on your resumes, but how you became a singer. Your motivation, how you began." She refused my offered resumes and I slipped them back in my bag before starting.
"Well, Ms. Fria-"
"Call me Amber. Ms. Fria makes me sound old." I smiled and continued where I had left off.
"Well, Amber, three years ago, I used to work at a company in Japan called SPR, focusing on spirits and things like that. My work as an assistant gave me a good salary and I was pleased with the job, even though most of the cases we took scared me quite a bit. But, my boss and his other assistant were coming back to England, which was where they lived. I had fallen in love with my boss and was quite depressed at the prospect of never seeing him again. So, on their last day in Japan, I confessed my love for him, only to be rejected harshly. He then left, leaving me heartbroken with no job and only a little money, barely enough to pay my apartment fees. As I was searching for a new job two days later, I found a small club that had an open spot as a singer."
"Of course, I jumped at the job and soon, I had different shifts each day and the pay allowed me to live quite nicely. Then my agent, Brittany, came to the club one night and offered to be my agent. She saw the talent in me which I didn't. Soon enough, I was doing a concert a month and creating new songs for my fans. A little while ago, Brittany found an empty spot in the Redwood Industries that she figured I could do. So she rushed me over here and here I am." I finished. Amber was silent for a minute or two before leaning back in her chair again.
"Why did you look for a job at such a young age?" I smiled sadly.
"My parents had died when I was younger so I needed money to support myself."
"Such great potential..." Amber murmured to herself, before turning to me again. "I think you will do, but I need you to show me some of your songs. Do you have some time now to do so?"
"Yes, I have quite a bit of time before I go." Amber stood up, smoothing her skirt.
"Then it's settled. Come with me." She ordered and I followed her out the door and into another room two floors down. It looked like a recording studio with mics, a DJ system, and some instruments, mainly guitars. A glass window revealed another room in which the singer would go into.
"What instrument would you like to play three songs with?" She questioned. My eyes scanned the room and landed on an acoustic guitar. Perfect. Picking it up, I made my way into the other room and switched on the mike. From the other side of the window, Amber nodded her head at me to begin. Strumming the guitar lightly, I took a deep breath in, and started to sing. (Please read through the first song. I think it really fits her life...)
Haunted: by Taylor Swift-
You and I walk a fragile line
I have known it all this time
But I never thought I'd live to see it break
It's getting dark, and it's all too quiet
And I can't trust anything now
And it's coming over you like it's all a big mistake
Oh, I'm holding my breath
Won't lose you again
Something's made your eyes go cold
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted
Stood there and watched you walk away
From everything we had
But I still mean every word I said to you
He would try to take away my pain
And he just might make me smile
But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead
Oh, I'm holding my breath
Won't see you again
Something keeps me holding on to nothing
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted
I know, I know
I just know
You're not gone
You can't be gone, no
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
Won't finish what you started
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't go back, I'm haunted
You and I walk a fragile line
I have known it all this time
Never ever thought I'd see it break
Never thought I'd see it
I closed my eyes and sighed, strumming the last chord before taking a a quick glance at Amber who was scribbling something down on a notepad. She gave a nod and I started my next song.
Bleeding Love: by Leona Lewis-
Closed off from love
I didn't need the pain
Once or twice was enough
And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you know it you're frozen
Ooooh...
But something happened
For the very first time with you
My heart melted to the ground
Found something true
And everyone's looking 'round
Thinking I'm going crazy
Oooh, yahhh
But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open
Oooh, oooh...
Trying hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that their goal
Is to keep me from falling
Hey, yeah!
But nothing's greater
Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around me
Thinks that I'm going crazy
Maybe, maybe
But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open
And it's draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I'll be wearing these scars
For everyone to see
I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the pain
That I keep all closed in
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
Without waiting for the okay, I took a deep breath and started on my last song.
Change: by Taylor Swift-
And it's a sad picture, the final blow hits you
Somebody else gets what you wanted again
You know it's all the same, another time and place
Repeating history and you?re getting sick of it
But I believe in whatever you do
And I'll do anything to see it through
Because these things will change, can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It's a revolution, the time will come for us to finally win
We'll sing hallelujah!
We'll sing hallelujah! Oh
So we've been outnumbered, raided and now cornered
It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair
We're getting stronger now from things they never found
They might be bigger but we're faster and never scared
You can walk away and say we don't need this
But there's something in your eyes says we can beat this
'Cause these things will change, can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It's a revolution, the time will come for us to finally win
We'll sing hallelujah!
We'll sing hallelujah! Oh
Tonight we standed on our knees
To fight for what we worked for all these years
And the battle was long, it's the fight of our lives
Will we stand up champions tonight?
It was the night things changed, can you see it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back fell down
It's a revolution, throw your hands up, 'cause we never gave in
We'll sing hallelujah!
We sang hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
I stopped and sighed, running my hand through my long hair. Stepping outside of the room, I was faced with a huge crowd of people that I didn't know. They all paused, and applauded with big grins on their faces. As they filed out of the room, a lot of them paused and shook my hand, saying they were looking forward to working with me, or, you have such a great voice! Once the room was empty, I saw Amber standing on the side of the room, obviously pleased the crowd had dispersed.
"So-" I started, but Amber cut me off.
"Very nice. I think this company needs someone like you working with us. Oh, and that first song, written after your boss' leave? Hmm, nice." she proclaimed. I nodded, shocked at her announcement.
"Yes. I did. Do I get the spot?" I asked timidly. Amber smiled at me.
"Definitely. Just fill out a couple papers and I need you to sign the contract with us before you can go." I nodded again, and followed her back into the office where she handed me the contract and the other sheet I needed to fill out and sign. In five minutes, that was completed and just as I was about to leave, Amber dropped the news.
"Oh, and those songs that you sang, my apologies for not telling you before, but I recorded them and they were playing on the radio. Since we got so many calls about our 'new singer', we arranged for you to have a concert in four days. I need you to prepare at least fifteen songs for the concert." I gaped at the woman. Radio? Concert? 4 days? FIFTEEN SONGS? This was way too much information for my poor head.
"Um, alright then. Oh, and I'm sorry, but nobody knows that I am a singer. During all my concerts, I wear a specially crafted mask. Hope that isn't any trouble..." I explained. Amber nodded before assuring me no one would hear a thing. I thanked her before stumbling out the building and informing Brittany about the new concert plans. I was still a little shaken up by the sudden news so before going straight to the Davis' house, I stopped by a tea shop and drank a whole cup of strong, black tea, buying some other flavors for Naru as well. As soon as I entered the Davis house, after seeing Brittany off (who insisted on staying in an apartment), I was immediately clung to by Bou-san and Yasu.
"Mai, please help us! Naru's being mean!" they cried animatedly. I groaned and managed to stumble into the kitchen, dropping off the tea bags before shaking Bou-san and Yasu off of me.
"Where's everyone?" I asked.
"Downstairs in the basement." They replied in unison. I nodded my thanks and hopped down the stairs, throwing open the basement door, only to find Lin, typing away on his laptop and Madoka flipping through a magazine. Ayako, John, and Masako were quietly either . Luella and Martin, who were whispering quietly to each other, looked up when I came in.
"Mai!" Luella exclaimed, jumping up. "We'll talk later if that's okay with you. Naru's in his room if you were looking for him. Pretty grumpy today, as you probably know." I smiled.
"Yeah. With all the drama today, no wonder he's grumpy. Ah, that reminds me, what's the last time he had tea today, Lin?" I asked. Lin thought about it for a moment before answering.
"I think the last time was yesterday." Lin shook his head amusedly. "Now, he won't let anyone make his tea except for himself. I think the tea is strong enough to pass out a whale!" he exclaimed before turning back to his laptop. I chuckled and walked back into the kitchen, setting the kettle on the stove. It might have been three years, but I still haven't forgotten how Naru likes his tea. Pouring the now boiled water in a cup, I mixed the tea leaves in and strained them out before carrying the cup up to Naru's room. I knocked gently on the door before creaking it open. Naru sat with his back towards me in his chair facing the window. The room was totally dark except for the small strip of light that came through the window. I sighed and walked over to Naru who still didn't seem to realize that I was there. It was only when I got closer that I saw he was asleep.
I smiled to myself. He probably hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Gently setting the cup on his table, I walked back a bit before sitting, cross-legged on the ground and examining him. He looked so peaceful while he was sleeping. His almost black, ravenish hair fell over his eyes and his chest fell up and down as he breathed in and out. Not wanting to disturb him, I stood up, only to hear a click in the door.
'No way!' I thought, quietly rushing to the door and jiggling the knob. Locked. I knew it. Luella would never miss a chance to keep us together like this. Sighing, I moved towards Naru's bed, sat down, and leaned against the edge of the bed. I shifted my body a little so that I could be a little more comfortable and the bed creaked with my movement. I froze as Naru shifted in his seat. I sighed thankfully. Closing my eyes, I smiled as lyrics to a new song floated into my mind. Grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen from Naru's desk, I scribbled down the first couple lines, humming the tune to myself softly.
About half-an hour passed and I was halfway through with the song when I heard shouting coming from downstairs. I cringed as Naru groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering open. When his vision refocused and saw me sitting in his room, he did not look pleased. At. All. Ignoring the glare that was directed at me, I gave him a half-heated smile.
"Morning, Naru." I teased. He shook his head and stood up, shaking out his stiff limbs. Naru glanced down at me.
"What do you think you're doing in my room?" he asked in his monotone voice. I sighed, for the millionth time that day, and pushed myself off the ground, brushing my clothes off.
"Your mother locked me in here when I came in to give you your tea." I rolled my eyes. "But you were sleeping. So, um, yea. That's pretty much it." Naru sighed and walked over to the door, trying to pull it open, to no avail. He ran his hand through his hair, sitting back down in his chair.
"Let's be productive at least. Explain." he ordered, leaning back into the seat, his arms crossed. I mentally groaned. I knew this conversation was going to come up some time or another.
"Where should I start?" I asked myself, running my hand through the ends of my hair. "Well, I've known Luella and Martin ever since I was in third grade. Back then, my parents were still alive and we would frequently travel to England to visit them. Because of that close relationship that we had, I started calling them Auntie and Uncle. They would take me to work with them once in a while, finding my psycic abilities useful. I met Gene a couple times but never noticed you around during our visits. Luella and Martin always told me you were busy studying. When my father died, my mother went into a state of depression and we rarely visited anymore. Then my mother passed away and as you can probably figure out, all visits stopped. But I continued calling them, informing them of my whereabouts, since they insisted. They offered money but I refused. So that's pretty much it." I finished, shrugging as I leaned against the bed. Naru thought over my explanation for a bit before looking up at me.
"So you say you knew Gene?" I nodded, unsure of what he was getting at. Suddenly, Naru stood up and walked over to his closet, pulling out a faded T-shirt as I recognized as Gene's.
"We found Gene but we still have no lead as to who killed him or why. There were people, but I couldn't trace them. Mai, touch the T-shirt and see if you can find any more clues." I stared at Naru.
"What?" I asked, confused. Naru sighed and took a few deep breaths before explaining it too me again.
"Mai, you also knew Gene but your powers are different than mine. You might be able to find out who killed Gene! Now here."
"No, Naru wait-" but before I could protest, Naru touched the shirt to my palm and I fell into Gene's experience.
Mai's Vision-
I stared in fright the the car that neared me. A woman, with black hair and dark skin was at the wheel. She rammed her car into me and I fell onto the pavement, my pain clouding my vision. She backed up, and ran over me again, crushing my bones. Two men appeared on the scene. Both of them had huge muscles and were dressed in black. As they neared, I could see that one of them had gray eyes while the other had dark green ones. They were wearing badges that sported a car company in England. They knocked my head against the ground and stabbed me over and over to make sure that I was dead. Finally, the blackness of death overcame me.
End of Mai's Vision-
I screamed and collapsed onto the carpeted ground, writhing in pain.
"Mai, what happened?" I moaned as another spasm of pain shot through me. Naru came into my line of sight, his face etched with worry.
"Dammit' Naru!" I screamed at him. "I told you not to for a reason! As well as experiencing the event, I also get whatever pain the person felt!" I screamed twice more, clutching my skull. Tears rolled down my face as I faintly heard Naru banging on the door, yelling at anyone who heard him to open it. The door banged open and the worried, angry voices of Luella and Martin filled the room. And then, of course, I blacked out.
Okay, that's all for tonight. So yea, Mai is actually a famous singer and she has known Luella and Martin for a long time.
Please review! :)
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