Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Standing in the Night ❯ Standing in the Night (Chapter 6) ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Standing in the Night
Chapter 6
By Essence

Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. To EO, yes I have finally reviewed and I am sorry this is so late. ^_~

Standing in the Night
Chapter 6

The autumn air was crisp and cool that morning when Mina arrived at the mall for her third day of shooting. Already a seasoned pro she walked straight over to the set of trailers parked near the front and pulled open the door of the first one.
Inside Eric was laying out combs and hair accessories when Mina walked in bringing with her an air of cheerfulness and good charm.
" Good morning!" Mina said happily has she plopped herself down on the chair and spread out her mane of blond hair.
" A little early today aren't we?" Eric asked smiling at her cheerful bubbleness.
" I'm early because you told me to come early since you want to try something new with my hair!" She replied turning around in the chair and pointing one finger at him.

Eric just grinned and laid out another black comb on the small tray in front of him.
" Yea but I expected to get here at 8:00am, it's only 7:45am right now."
" Darien dropped me off early today, he said he had things to do so he couldn't wait for me." Mina chewed on her bottom lips has she looked out the small window to see if the red sports car was still standing where it was when she climbed out.
" I'm guessing Darien is your boyfriend?" Eric asked straightening out a small brush, keeping his eyes glued to the short bristles.
" Sort of although sometimes I wonder why I stay in the relationship. He's not really much of a boyfriend." Mina replied idly not even realizing what she was saying,
" So you two have a cool relationship?" Eric asked laying out the last comb and turning to face Mina.
" Yea, if you could call it that." Suddenly Mina blushed has she realized what she was saying. One hand flew up to her mouth has the red tint flooded her cheeks.

Eric only laughed and leaned back on the counter. His blue shirt stretching over the taunt muscles of his chest and arms.
" Don't be embarrassed by what you said, I'm completely understand. My ex-girlfriend Jessica and I had the same relationship for awhile too."
" Are you still in the relationship?" Mina leaned over the back of the chair and placed both elbows on the headrest.
" No, thankfully." Eric replied in a sardonic tone. " We broke it off after I found out she's was sleeping with someone at her office."
" You mean like a co-worker?"
" No, the boss. She thought that by sleeping with him she could rise higher in her job," Eric ran one hand through his blond hair. " She was one of the most beautiful womyn I've ever seen, but after I found out I couldn't stay around so I left. It was not like there was much to leave, our relationship never really got anywhere."
" It was just purely physical?" Mina asked placing in her chin in her hands.
" Yea, I guess I stayed in for the sex." Eric grinned and rubbed the back of his head in boyish embarrassment. " And now I should be blushing, here I am talking about my relationship like this."

Mina just smiled and shook her head. " You shouldn't be embarrassed. It's good that you got it off your chest."
" Yea, I guess it is." Eric removed his hand from the back of his head and smiled down at Mina. " You know your really easy to talk to. With other people I don't think I would have been able to talk about Jessica like that."
" Well I'm glad I could be of so much help and remember if you ever need to talk you can just look for me, Minako the romance helper!"
" I'll remember that," Eric laughed in reply.
" Good, now lets get started with my hair. I don't want to be late today." Minako eased herself into the chair and pushed back all of her golden hair.
" All right, alright no need to be pushy," Eric teased picking up brush and some gel.

* * * * * * *

" What's on the itinerary today?" Whitney asked looking down at the small piece of paper in Anna's hands.
" Prom dress shopping," Anna replied dryly.
" I guess your not looking forward to that one?" Whitney asked looking up at Anna who was half a head taller then her.
" No, I hate wearing dresses. I'm not meant for that fruity girlish kind of thing, but Miss Tuskino insisted that I be in these shots."
" Well I don't think it will take long. Mario will probably spend his time taking pictures of Vicky and Melissa then we'll be done with that part."
" Hopefully," Anna folded the piece of paper and slipped into her back pocket. "So how come your not in this shoot? I didn't see your name on there?"
" Miss Tuskino and I decided that I didn't want to do it." Whitney's face took on a sheepish look. " I hate wearing those pale pastel dresses myself so we came up with a different idea for me."

Anna laughed and pushed some blond hair out of her eyes. " Your lucky, I wish I could get away with such a thing." Anna indicated to her body, which was a little more athletic, then, the other girls.
" Just yuck it up and get through it. I doubt it will be a very long shoot and then after that we are done with the mall."
" Then it's off to the park to take the fall shots of us."
" Something Vicky and Melissa will hate since it might mean," Whitney put one hand over her mouth in a shocked way. " They might get dirty!"

Anna laughed again, a big barking kind of laugh that fit her. " You are positively awful Whitney."
" I know," Whitney replied cheerfully looking out to the trailers has a door opened to one and someone stepped out, someone with a crown of golden curls on top of her head.
" Minako?" Anna gasped has the blond girl slammed the door shut behind her and turned towards them.
" Good morning!" Mina yelled waving her hands and running towards them.
" Wow Minako!" Whitney gasped has the blond came to a halting stop in front of them.
" Do you like it?" Mina asked indicating to her hair.
" Are you sure this is Minako?" Anna asked looking around in curious interest. "For all the we know this might be a lost stranger who mistakenly walked onto the set by accident."
" Very funny Anna," Minako pouted in pretend hurt but her smile quickly took over and she returned to her normal cheerful self.
" I'm sorry Mina, if it makes you feel any better I love your hair," Anna laughed reaching out to touch on of the curls.
" Do you? Eric made me come here early so he could curl it all. It took like an hour with all these hot curlers and a curling iron before he started pinning it up and sprayed it done with about half a can of hair spray."
" I can tell," Anna replied pressing down on a rock hard curl.
" That is going to be a bitch to clean out with all the hair care products you have in there," Whitney said skeptically eyeing Mina's hair.
" I don't care! I might wear it home this way so all the girls at the club can see it!"
" The club?" Anna asked innocently.
" Yea, the club where I work after I'm done for the day here." Mina replied not noticing the look Whitney was giving her.
" What kind of club is it? A sports club or something like that?"
" Actually it's..."
" Oh my gosh look a the time!" Whitney interrupted looking down at her watch. I still have to get my hair and make up done or else I'll be late and who knows what will happen!" Whitney smiled and took a hold of Anna's arm. " Come on Anna you promised me you'd sit with me while I got my hair done." With that, Whitney dragged off a very confused Anna while Mina just stood there blinking and wondering what was going on.

" What was that for?" Anna asked rubbing her arm and shooting Whitney a dirty look.
" It was nothing personal but I don't think Minako should be broadcasting it to everyone where she works," Whitney replied.
" I don't think it really matters that she's a model," Eric broke in wrapping a sheet around Whitney.
" She's not just a model, she works at a club after she gets done here. Like a sports club or something but Whitney pulled me away before I could find out where she works." Anna pulled herself up onto the counter and brought one foot up to the counter so she could rest her knee on her chin.
" That's because she doesn't work at those kinds of clubs," Whitney replied closing her eyes has Eric worked some gel in her hair.
" Then were does she work since I'm quite interested now also."
" You don't want to know Eric," Whitney replied quietly.
" Oh yes I do, I'm very interested to know."
" And so am I, so tell us Whitney," Anna demanded.
" Oh fine!" Whitney let out a frustrated sigh. " She works in a strip club, she's a stripper."

Anna let her leg slip off the counter and hang down to the floor again. Eric continued to rub gel into Whitney's hair without saying anything.
" She also works in a brothel on the bad side of town. Miss Tuskino told me on the first day but I wasn't supposed to tell anyone."
" You just did," Eric replied closing the cap on the bottle and setting it down.
" Yes and I will admit that I made a mistake. That means that you can't tell anyone else about this."
" I can't believe it! She takes off her clothes for men!" Anna said in a shocked voice.
" She does it because she can't afford anything else!" Whitney opened her eyes and sat up in the chair. " Have you ever seen it in her eyes? She's poor and desperate, that cute little innocent act of hers a fake. She lives a tough life, tougher then most."
" I just can't believe that Minako is one of those bad womyn." Anna muttered shaking her head in disbelief.
" She's not a bad womyn," Eric replied easing Whitney back down into the chair. " She's a person like everyone else in this life. We should avoid her like the plague or give her any special privileges because of what she does in her free time."
" We should treat her like we always do," Whitney added.
" I just can't believe that someone like Minako would sell herself for sex." Anna mummered.
" A desperate person will do anything if they have to," Eric replied.

* * * * * * *

Turn to the right, now turn to the left. Minako looked at herself in the mirror studying every angle of her body. The dress was white covered with silver and gold stripes falling to the floor in a straight fall of silk. The bodice was a simple cut empire waist with a bit of gold ribbon running under her breasts and thin white strips holding the dress to her shoulders
" Well what do you think?" Tiffany asked admiring Mink in the dress.
" Well..." Minako replied craning her neck around to see the back of the dress in the mirror. " I love it!" She finished clapping her hands together and turning to face Tiffany.
" Wonderful! I was hoping you would like the dress!" Tiffany said happily and slightly relived. She had already had problems fitting Veronica and Melissa earlier.
" I feel like a princess or the prom queen," Minako said turning back to look at herself in the mirror.
" You look fantastic," Tiffany sighed admiring the way Minako turned around to see the other side of her dress.
" Thank you," she replied lifting the skirt to study her shoes.

* * * * * * *

" Ah girls good morning! Good morning!! Theresa is ready to take many pictures of you beauties this morning!!" Mario held up the small black camera to show the girls.

Mina and Andrea exchanged looks and tried not to laugh, they still were not used to Mario yet.
" Now girls we begin! Yes we begin shooting my favorite scene since I will make you all Cinderella's." Mario slipped Theresa (the camera) over his head and begun to motion the girls into places. They were all standing inside a prom dress shop full of dresses some of them slung around slipping off chairs and lying in crumpled piles. Mario took advantage of this positioning Veronica and Melissa as if they were showing off their dresses to Andrea, Anna, and Minako sitting on a bench laughing and clapping.
While the girls pretended to act happy and cheerful, Mario ran around them snapping pictures and shouting out things to them. Farther away outside of the shop, Whitney leaned against the glass railing watching the shoot. Her hair was slicked up and curled into short pin curls while the baggy blue jeans and black zippered jacket covered her frame.
" You look comfortable," Eric joked walking up to her and rubbing the sleeve of her jacket.

Whitney grinned and pulled herself up straight. " This is the outfit I get to wear when they do my shoot in the music store."
" It looks comfortable," Eric replied nodding his head and leaning against the glass railing.
" It is." Whitney re-crossed her arms and looked into the shop. Mario was taking a picture of Minako looking in the mirror at her dress. " She looks nice in white and gold," Whitney remarked casually.
" Yea she does, it's a good color on her. Very pure and virginal," Eric agreed nodding his head in agreement.

Whitney smiled and ran her tongue over her teeth. " So you have some free time before the next shoot?"
" You might say that," Eric replied never taking his eyes off Mina smiling happily at her reflection.
" You seem to have a lot of free time when Mina is in the shoot." Whitney replied in an off hand tone.

Eric grinned and bowed his head with laughter. " Are you suggesting something Whitney?"
" No, I'm just saying that you seem to the have a lot of free time when Mina is getting her pictures taken that is all." Whitney replied.
" Alright, I was just wondering." Eric stood up and walked into the store leaving behind a sly looking Whitney.

" Good that is good Andrea! Smile happily and whisper something to Mina!! Make her laugh and be happy!!" Mario cried snapping pictures of the two girls.
" Do you think someone had to much caffeine this morning?" Andrea whispered into Mina's ear making her laugh.
" Good! That is good!! Keep it up!!" Mario kneeled down and snapped some more pictures.
" Oh! Eric is coming in!" Andrea whispered her eyes traveling over the tall blond man walking through the racks of dresses. A blush spread over Mina's cheeks had she spotted him walking in.
" Good!! Yes that's it!!! Wonderful I love that blush little girl!!" Mario cried snapping pictures rapidly as he jumped to his feet.
" Whoa Mario calm down!" Eric laughed patting the shorter man on the shoulder.
" Ah, Eric good morning!! I see you come to visit these lovely ladies," Mario replied pulling the camera away from his face and turning to the taller man.
" Actually I came to see Mina, I think her hair needs to be touched up a bit," Eric replied allowing his gaze to fall upon the blushing blond girl.

Behind her Veronica and Melissa sniffed and turned away from the disgusting scene in front of them.
" Um, I had no idea it was falling down," Minako replied one hand flying up to pat the mass of curls on top of her head.
" A little hair spray will fix it," Eric replied turning away from the group and walking away from the group. Mina exchanged looks with Andrea then followed him out while Mario called for a five-minute break.

Eric did not actually walk out of the store but more to the side of it deep into the racks of prom dresses and formal tuxedos hanging around them. Mina blushed has she noticed the curves of his arms well defined by his shirt and the way his back muscles rippled when he moved.
" I didn't know my hair was falling down," Mina said again reaching up to pat the blond curls.
" Just a little bit in the back," Eric replied pulling out a can of hair spray and a brush from the small apron hanging around his waist.

Mina allowed him to move her over to the full-length mirror so she could look at her reflection has he re-sprayed and styled her curls.
" I guess all those hot lights make my hair go limp," Mina said breaking the silence between them.
" It's a lot of factors, the heat of the lights, the movement of your body and how much you touch your hair," Eric replied wrapping a limp curl around his finger and spraying it down.
" Oh." Mina reached up and fluffed up her bangs scrutinizing her appearance in the mirror. The make-up Candy had applied was still on and still looked perfect. Mina scrunched up her eyes and pouted her lips before smoothing out her features and smiling.
" Ya know, this is the first time I've ever been able to wear a prom dress."
" Didn't you go to your senior prom?" Eric asked pinning up a couple of loose curls.
" No, I didn't get asked by the boy I liked so I didn't go. I kind of regret it though," Mina nibbled on one fingertip encased in white gloves. " I had to listen to all these girls talk about how much fun their prom night was going to be. Then it came and I spent the night at home crying and I thinking I missed everything."
" Did you?"
" Did I what?" Mina asked looking at Eric in the mirror.
" Did you miss anything?"
" No, not really. It turned out to be kind of a bad night for a lot of people. One of my friends got in a car accident on the way to get her hair and nails done. She wasn't hurt but her car was really damaged and her parents were really pissed since it was her fault."
" What did she do?" Eric asked moving around to the front to brush out Ina's bangs.
" She ran a stop sign and slammed into the side of a pick up truck. She didn't get a ticket or anything, but her parents were still pissed although they did let her go to the prom that night. Then there was another friend of mine who went and she had just broken up with her boyfriend like a month before the prom. So she went with someone else and he was there with his new girlfriend and he was all over her. My friend told me she was so mad since he was obviously showing off in front of her.
" What about her date? Didn't she like him?"
" She did, but only has friends. It didn't really matter though since he ended up ditching her for another girl near the end of the dance."
" It sounds like your friends had a lot of fun at the prom," Eric replied sarcastically.
" Compared to what happened to some people, I think they had a ball." Mina replied quietly.
" What happened?"
" I don't know if this is true or not but I heard that some people went to hotel rooms after the prom to party. Of course at those parties everyone was drinking and having fun. Well I heard that some of the football players slipping a pill into a cheerleaders drink then took her into another room and raped her."
" How many football players did you hear did this?" Eric asked quietly.
" Twelve, I knew who the girl was too. She was in my biology class junior year. I never really knew her but she was really nice. After prom, I didn't see her in school and her name was never called at graduation. The football players never got in trouble for it even though the rumors about it were flying everywhere."
" Some people will sink to some very low heights," Eric growled sticking the last pin into Ina's hair and stepping back.
" Then you agree with what a lot of people said. They thought it was sick and wrong that those guys could get away with it. The last I heard of that girl is that she got pregnant and she had to leave town."
" Makes you wonder what really happened," Eric replied with a wry grin has he slipped his brush back into his apron and pulled out a fake diamond crown.
" What's that for?" Mina asked reaching out to touch the swirling the designs of diamonds.
" I thought it might add a little silver to all the gold in your hair," Eric replied turning her back to the mirror so he could slip the tiara into her hair.
" It's beautiful, but is it real?"
" No, it's fake," Eric laughed clipping each side in. " I bought for six dollars at the store thinking it would look good with your dress. Any ways someone needs to be the prom queen."
" Veronica or Melissa would make better prom queens. They fit the stereotype of one."
" Yes, but that stereotype is wrong." Eric dropped his hand to rest on her bare shoulders. " Don't you know that the prom queen is the one who is kind and beautiful. The one that everyone knows and loves." He breathed these last words into her hair has she leaned back into his embrace.
" Do you think I'm the prom queen?" Mina mummered closing her eyes.
" I think your more then just the prom queen. You are the goddess of Venus brought here to burn me," Eric replied brushing his lips over her neck.

Mina shuddered has one hand slid down her arm to her stomach where it rested against the light cloth covering her skin.
" Good! Good! I love it!" Mario cried clapping his hands.

Quickly Eric and Minako broke apart and turned to face the small Italian man a smile beaming on his dark face.
" I love it! You two will be my prom king and queen! I will take beautiful pictures of the boy kissing his ladies hand and putting on her corsage! I will make beautiful pictures of you too!" Mario clapped his hands again and turned away to go and find the wardrobe assistants.

Quite before he knew it Eric was wearing a tux and carrying a flower corsage made up by Andrea who had cheerfully picked some flowers from the ones growing outside the mall entrance and made up a corsage. Now he followed Mario's commands has he and Mina went through the motions of preparing for a prom date. While Minako blushed and smiled he slipped the corsage on her gloved wrist then kneeled down and kissed her hand.
Mario loved it, he ran around them shouting out things in a mix of Italian and English and snapping pictures with Theresa. Standing around them, sitting on the concrete stairs or on chairs carried out of the trailers models and workers alike sat around talking and watching the photo shoot. Bottles of water in their hands and sunglasses covering their eyes they brushed their bangs out of their eyes and tried to keep cool. For an autumn day it was hot, the heat shimmering in waves like it was July instead of October.
Near by Serena pushed her sunglasses higher up onto her nose and looked at the pictures in her hand. She shifted through them wordlessly while the girl holding the black folder next to her waited for Serena's comments.
" I like this one of the six of them linking arms and walking." Serena indicated to the picture in her left hand.
" Mr. Umnio said that one can be used as a center shot for the mall pictures since it has all six of them," the girl replied looking at the picture.
" Hmm, tell Mr. Umnio that I agree with his idea on using this picture and that I'll discuss with him about the others tomorrow." Serena handed the girl the pictures in her hand and walked off towards the photo shoot.

One hand was raised to brush some limp bangs out of her eyes. Sweat dampened her skin underneath her shirt has the midday sun shone down upon them. Already the food cart was opening for lunch, filling the air with the smell of food. A quick look at her watch confirmed that there was still half an hour until lunch.
Eric and Minako smiled at each other has Mario took some more pictures. They both looked like a happy prom couple when in reality they both were trying no to burst out laughing. Serena sat down in an empty chair next to Molly who had come to the shoot on the order of Mr. Umino.
" How's it going?" Serena asked leaning towards her friend.
" Pretty good, I think Mario is almost done with this shoot. Then he will want to go back in and finish with the other girls."
" And then we can leave the mall and they will be off my back about taking so long," Serena said in relief.
" The corporate officials been after you about closing this place down so we can have the shoot?" Molly asked turning to her friend.
" Yea, to them three days is three days to long," Serena took the bottled water offered to her and took a long sip. " I will be glad to get out of here myself. I'm so tired of looking at black top parking lot and mini shopping stores."
" Yea, being at the mall for three days will drive anyone nuts. I see all these things I want to buy yet I know I can't unless I want to be completely broke," Molly sighed.
" It's tough isn't it?" Serena patted her friend's arm in sympathy then turned to back to the photo shoot. " They make a nice looking couple."
" Yea they do, both of them blondes. Her the delicate female and he the strong masculine male." Molly agreed nodding her head.
" I just wonder how Mario got Eric to do that. I know anyone of the other guys around here would have been glad to pose with the girls."
" What's wrong with Eric? I think he's a great guy."
" Nothing is wrong with him but I'm afraid Minako might end up falling for him."
" And that would be a bad thing?" Molly asked turning to her friend.
" Yes it would since it's rumored that Eric is sort of a player and he already has a girlfriend. In fact last I heard they are engaged to be married."

* * * * * * *

" Bye Whitney!" Mina called waving to her friend has she drove off then turned to walk back to the trailers.

Serena sat in an empty chair looking at a pile of pictures in her lap. The setting sun cast a reddish glow over everything including her blond hair making it look slightly pink.
" Hi, what are those?" Mina asked walking up to Serena and sitting down in the empty chair next to her.
" The pictures from Monday's shoot. I'm looking through them to see what we can use." Serena replied without looking up.
" Can I see them?" Mina asked eagerly leaning over to get a peek.
" Well I'm technically not supposed to show you these but," Serena looked around to make sure no one was around. " You can take a look if you want." Serena pulled out a bundle of pictures she had already looked at and handed them to Mina.
" Ohh I love this one! And look at me in that one! My hair looks great!" Mina squealed flipping through the pictures happily.

Serena laughed and help up a picture of Mina and Whitney fighting over a shirt.
" I think this one should be on the cover."

Mina laughed and took the picture from Serena. " We were feeling silly in this one so Whitney and I started fighting over the same shirt." Ina laughed at the expression of fierce determination on her face while Whitney gashed her teeth and fought back.
" Or perhaps this one." Serena held up a picture of Veronica making a face at something from off the camera.
" Oh no it would scare people away from the magazine," Ina replied shaking her head.

Serena laughed and nodded in agreement. " Your right," she said turning to the sound of a car engine coming toward them. The sleek red sports car drove up and stopped at the curve where the girls sat. Without turning off the engine the driver stepped out and pulled off his sunglasses.
A flush filled her cheeks has Serena got her first look at the tall dark haired man that slammed his car door and strolled towards them. Long lean legs in worn out blue jeans, a white shirt with it's sleeves rolled up to the elbows, messy black hair falling over storm blue eyes. These eyes were the first to catch and fall upon the slender blond womyn sitting with Mink. Blond hair pulled back into a French twist, blue eyes staring at him with wide open intensity, long legs crossed at the knee...
" Darien!" Mina squealed jumping up from her chair and rushing toward him. One arm was slung through his as she pulled him over to where Serena sat. Their eyes never left the others has he numbly walked up to her.
" Darien I would like you to meet my boss Miss Serena Tuskino. Miss Tuskino this is my boyfriend Darien Shields."
" It is very nice to meet you," Serena broke the silence between the two. She slipped down to the ground and held out one slightly shaking hand.
" Same here," Darien replied gruffly taking her hand in his own.

Serena blushed at the feeling of warmth that enfolded her has their fingers touched. His grip was warm and strong filling her blood with something strange and powerful.
" Miss Tuskino was just showing me some of the pictures from the shoot," Mina said indicating to the pictures on her chair.
" So you're the lady Mina is constantly talking about," Darien said a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
" Yes I am, but I would prefer it if you called me Serena. Miss Tuskino is too formal such occasions."
" Then you can call me Darien...Serena." Darien replied squeezing her fingers gently then let go of her hand. " We better be going Mina, I got some things I need to be doing tonight."
" Alright," Mina replied looking at her boss one more time before heading towards the idling car.
" It was very nice to meet you, Serena," Darien smiled down at her with a lazy seductive smile before turning and walking over to the car,
" It was nice to meet you too," Serena replied softly.

Her blue eyes never left the car has it shifted into drive and took off through the mall parking lot and disappeared down the street. Only then did she look down at her hand and feel the blush burning in her cheeks and the racing beat of her heart.

Looks like we are developing the plot for some romance. Hmm...interesting isn't it. Well I should have chapter 7 out very soon, but until then remember to be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!