16Development
By Heavenly Grace
I've gotten some very interesting reviews, and I'm grateful for all of them especially the one from Angelight. Constructive critics always make me happy.
Snapshot Stories: Smile for the camera!
It was 9:16 when Minako woke up. It was very early for Minako, but she didn't care. After yesterdays events Minako was very nonchalant about a lot of things. Not moving from her position on the couch she noticed there was a DVD post and a rather large post-it note on top of it.
Dear Minako,
I know you're going to hate me once you read this, if you don't already from yesterday's incident at work. I came in last night and found you sleeping on the couch with the TV still on. When I attempted to take out the Casablanca VHS from the VCR it broke. I tried my best to fix it and you know me with fixing anything. So I went out to Blockbuster and bought you a DVD of Casablanca. That's all I could think of to repair the damage I caused. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me.
I went to work, but before I left Matoko called inviting you to lunch and I promised her I'd let you know. Give her a call back just in case. I hope you have a better day then mine, because I know that I'm going to dread mine especially since I'm having a meeting with the CEO this afternoon. See you at dinner.
Love,
Usagi
Minako put the note down, and curled up tighter into her blanket. She couldn't help but be angry with Usagi. Their mother had given them that VHS for their tenth birthday; Minako closed her eyes and remembered how happy their mother looked when they had opened that gift. Her eye shone with sheer joy, and a motherly look that couldn't be given by just anyone. That was the last time she had ever seen her mother so happy, because three weeks later she had died of complications of hemophilia. They both had been devastated, but Usagi eventually just let it go, where Minako could not. She loved her mother, she was everything to her, well at least when she was ten years old. Minako held back tears, as she clutched tighter to the blanket around her.
After taking a deep breath Minako released herself from the makeshift cocoon and looked at the DVD Usagi had left her. It wasn't the same; it would never be the same. But Minako knew that Usagi meant well, even if she had completely ignored the sentimental value the VHS held for Minako. Ever since Usagi's boyfriend Mamoru had left for America Usagi had changed. It was as if she had a spilt personality, at times she was the frigid and icy, business suit Usagi Aino and then at times she was the lovable and caring, Usa-chan that Minako had grown up with in Juuban. And as of late the Ice Queen was winning the battle.
Minako tossed the DVD on the couch, and walked to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and washed her face with freezing cold water in efforts to wake herself up completely. After brushing her teeth and combing out the few knots that had managed their way to get into her hair Minako decided it was time to call Matoko.
"Hello, Thank you for calling the Juno Café, this is Matoko speaking how may I help you?" Matoko's voice sounded extremely sugarcoated and fake, Minako laughed.
"This is Minako Aino and I'd like to talk to the real Matoko not the fake Matoko."
"Hey Mina-chan, what's up?"
"I got your message from Usagi, I'd love to hang out for lunch!" Minako said.
"That would be great, you could come here once we close for some tea and some salad or something." Matoko replied, she had just opened up a Café down by the community center. Minako loved going there and getting free food from her best friend. Though to Minako's dismay she had to pay last time she had visited.
"Hold on a second Matoko, I have a beep." Minako looked at the caller I.D. and noticed that she was getting a call from the modeling agent she had contacted a couple of months back, "Can I call you right back Matoko? It's Dorothy from the modeling agency!"
"I'll let you go, meet me around 4!" Matoko said hanging up.
Minako squealed as she changed the line.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Dorothy Catalonia from Fashion Grammar Modeling Agency may I please speak to Minako Aino?"
"This is she."
"Minako, how nice it is to speak to you again. I've got some very great news!"
"Really?"
"One of our model's broke her leg during a skiing trip and we need a replacement. My boss felt that you were the best candidate to replace her." Dorothy began, "There is one problem, we're leaving for Paris this Friday for a photo shoot and we'll need you to be ready to leave for a couple of weeks by then."
"Are you kidding me? I could be ready by tonight if you needed me too!" Minako said.
"Could you?" Dorothy said, "Because originally we were planning to leave for tonight. If you could be that would be fantastic."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Minako started dancing around the kitchen, "The only problem is, is that I can't drive…I can't seem to pass my road test."
"Not a problem, I'll have someone pick you up around 9 o'clock, Please be ready by then. I'll be seeing you soon." Minako heard a click and hung up the phone as well.
She ran and got changed out of the clothes she had slept in, grabbed her purse and ran out the door. She had people to tell, and she had about an hour to do it if she planned on getting anything done. Minako knew this was going to be a hectic day but was ready to face it. She would let Usagi slide this time, because there were more important matters at hand then yelling at Usagi, which she did often. Minako left the apartment building and headed towards the bus station, her first destination was the Auto Shop where Duo worked. She never did enjoy running away from problems, but this was the chance of a lifetime. And she knew her mother wouldn't want her to pass it up.
"Hello Mr. Song, it's good to see that you're doing well."
"I would say the same about you Miss. Aino." The old wrinkled man replied in a superior tone, "Let's get this done with, I don't want to spend anymore time looking through photographs of wannabe photographers then I have too."
"Surely Mr. Song."
Usagi sighed as she presented the five portfolios' that had passed her inspection earlier that morning. Usagi was dead tired, but covered it up quite nicely with layers upon layers of makeup, she looked like plastic but it was better then looking weak and tired.
"This boy, Heero Yuy, has talent I like his work. Hire him." Mr. Song tossed some pictures in Usagi's direction.
Usagi picked them up and inspected them, most of them of a suburban area. She looked at the last picture, and noticed two people were in it. A woman and a small child, in looking more closely she discovered that the woman was none other than Relena Peacecraft, former Queen of the World and the small child looked shockingly like her. They were standing in front of a beautiful Victorian house with smiles on their faces.
There was no mistaking it, Usagi even double checked the identity of the woman in the picture with the photo database. Relena Peacecraft was said to have died in a shuttle accident five years ago. Usagi had even done the article on it when she was still a journalists. How did Heero Yuy have a picture of her from two years ago? It didn't make sense…unless Relena Peacecraft wasn't really dead.