Chapter 2: Performance and Doors

     Amethyst begrudgingly got into the van for the long ride to the location of the shoot. She wondered if she had not been clear enough. She explicitly told Aqua that she did not want to be involved in another shoot, and yet there she was. The only upside to this was the fact that Ai gets to play a part in a movie which means more money for the family. Amethyst looked out the window at the scenery. It was definitely beautiful, but she did not have the heart to enjoy it. The long days at work from her past life had eroded any passion she could have had in this life. Plus, death by explosion did not help either.

     "So, what is the deal with this movie anyways." She asked no one in particular as they continued on their long drive.

     Aqua shrugged as he said, "It's kind of a horror movie."

     "I see..." That was all Amethyst could manage. She was not excited for the prospect of walking around a horror set. She never liked horror. Action movies were fine but anything with jumpscares in them was a no go. She already got all the information she needed so she just continued to look out the window.

     When they got to the location of the shoot the director greeted them. Ruby was asleep in Miyako's arms while Amethyst's eyes scanned the area that they were at. Her face did not betray what she was thinking. She was snapped out of her analysis as the director turned to the set.

     "Nope. This is a low-budget set we have here." He said as he turned back to Aqua.

     Amethyst could not help but voice her opinion on the matter. "Usually horror movies are low-budget. Plus, this dump looks creepy."

     The director looked down at her with an unreadable expression. Then he nodded to himself smiling slightly. He then turned his attention to Aqua and told him about the industry and how bartering works in the entertainment industry. Amethyst did not really care for this conversation since she was not planning to be in the entertainment industry anyways. She already made a 20-year plan that would result in her sitting in an office and programming. Eventually Amethyst absentmindedly followed Aqua into the breakroom.

     Ruby was crying about not being with their mother. "I want to go back to where mama is!! Why is mama not here with us!?"

     "You're going to have to deal." Amethyst said as she watched from the corner of the room.

     Before the conversation could continue it was interrupted by another girl that seemed to have enough. She slammed the script down on some boxes. Then she curled the script up and pointed it at the three of them.

     "Hey! This is a pro's line of work you know!! If you're here to play, then go home!!" The girl spoke.

     Aqua seemed to retreat from the irate girl. All he could manage was a simple "umm..." Amethyst just watched the fireworks from the sidelines.

     "I'm Arima Kana. I'm your partner today." Kana continued.

     "Wait isn't she...?" Ruby said, trying to place the child actor.

     Aqua also seemed deep in thought as he said, "Uh, what's she called again..."

     "The child genius who lick a lying snitch...?" Ruby suddenly said while pointing at Kana.

     Amethyst facepalmed as Kana said, "Flick a crying switch!!! Everyone says I'm great at my crying scenes!! Cus duh, they're great!"

     Amethyst smirked as she said, "Crying is not exactly impressive."

     Kana seemed to be personally offended at her words. "Do you know how much skill it takes to act? That is right, I did not think so."

     "I would like to personally see your crying scene." Amethyst said coldly as she pushed herself away from the wall she was leaning on. A small grin that was barely noticeable played across her face.

     Kana subconsciously took a step backwards while saying, "Creep." Kana then turned to Aqua before continuing, "I know all and well! You got here with a connection, right? In the original script, neither you nor the idol have actual lines!! Mom told me it's because the director insisted!! That's really not allowed, you know!!"

     As Aqua and Kana had their back and forth Amethyst moved to the door and leaned against the door frame. As Kana finished her diatribe against Aqua and Ruby, she turned around to walk out of the room. It was not until she nearly passed the threshold of the door that she noticed Amethyst. Amethyst smirked as Kana stumbled back startled by her sudden appearance.

     "Scared?" Amethyst asked dismissively as Kana stormed out of the room. Amethyst peered out after her then she turned to Aqua. "Are you supposed to follow her?"

     The scene that her brother had to act in was simple. He just had to talk to the protagonist of the horror movie and creep her out a bit. Aqua was a strange kid so this should not be so difficult. Amethyst watched the whole thing play out.

     "Damn, this kid is freaky." Amethyst thought as she watched from the sidelines. She looked to her side to see Ruby's reaction, but Amethyst could not ascertain much from Ruby's facial expression.

     Evidently, Kana felt as though she failed and asked for a reshoot. Amethyst could only smile to herself. Aqua had outperformed this "industry professional." It was honestly quite laughable, but Amethyst held her tongue.

     After they made it back home Amethyst could not help but ask, "So how was your first time acting?"

     Aqua pursed his lips together gathering his thoughts. "I guess it was nothing special really."

     Amethyst nodded understandingly. Kids would not know the fame and power that came with being a star, so she understood his reaction. With that they went back to their daily routine. Aqua, Ruby and Amethyst got closer and closer as time went on. Amethyst still had an aversion to anything to do with the entertainment industry but did not voice her complaints anymore.

     Two years have passed since that point, and Ai was getting a lot of work. She was a great idol, and with every day that passed her popularity grew. She got more and more jobs in the industry. However, as they got older Amethyst could not help but develop a respect for the woman that worked so hard to provide for them. She spent her days doing magazine shoots, game shows, other acting gigs, and more.

     It was eventually time for their first day at school, and Amethyst wondered how she would navigate this strange experience. "Aww you guys look so cute, as always. You three are just too cute!! Mama's cuter overall though."

     Amethyst laughed at her mother's antics. It was a funny family dynamic that she never thought she could get used to. They walked into preschool, Aqua and Ruby taking the lead. Amethyst lingered behind still hating the idea of going to preschool. She wished she could just skip to the first-grade equivalent or something.

     School life settled into a boring routine. Amethyst had to try her hardest to not draw anything edgy during art time. However, it was extremely hard to not doodle about guns, and explosions especially since she used to be American. Due to her non-intrusive personality, she sort of became a wallflower. No one bothered her and she did not bother anyone else.

    She did notice more odd things when it came to Aqua. It seemed as though he was reading books that were far beyond his level. Ruby on the other hand really seemed to embrace her inner child. She has always been the immature one though so that is not surprising to Amethyst as she observed everything around her.

     Then one day the teacher had an announcement to make. "You guys... We're going to put together a festival! We'll invite your families to come watch you dance!! So, let's work hard to learn!"

     Amethyst immediately asked, "Is there an opt out." At the same time Ruby paled and ran out of the room screaming, "No!! I won't do it!!" Aqua called out after her and followed her out.

     "So anyways, is there an option in which I don't have to dance?" Amethyst asked again flatly. Her disinterested gaze drilled into the teacher.

     The teacher chuckled uncomfortably as she said, "No, everyone will be on stage." As she finished her sentence, she saw Amethyst's face twist into a smile that sent shivers down her back. "How can a child be this creepy?" She thought to herself.

     That night Aqua and her were in the living room watching TV. "So, you don't want to dance either." He said as he continued to stare at the screen in front of him.

     "I would rather not."

     "Any particular reason?"

     Amethyst took a second. He was a perfectionist in her past life. This had paralyzed her in so many ways. This caused her to quit all her hobbies and bury herself in work. Plus, she did not want to waste time practicing dance when it was no use to her.

     She finally said, "I think it is a waste of my time."

     "It's not like you are busy though."

     "So, how did you convince Ruby to start practicing?" Amethyst changed the subject.

     "I just let her talk herself into it." Aqua said simply. After that silence permeated the space. Amethyst was not going to continue the conversation, so they returned their attention to the TV. Aqua would occasionally look over to her to see if there was an opening but Amethyst was never open to probes.

     As the day passed Aqua and Amethyst checked in on Ruby's progress. Ai was teaching her how to dance properly. Amethyst would sometimes go into the dance studio and watch from there. She knew that Ruby would not push her to train as well because the festival was supposed to be a surprise.

     One night Amethyst said, "You are getting good."

     Ai was the one to respond. "Why don't you join us?"

     "I would rather not." She said for the second time in her very short life. However, Ai was insistent that she also try. So, she walked up and stood in front of the mirror. "So, what now?" Amethyst asked her reflection. Her blond hair a couple shades darker than Aqua and Ruby's flutter slightly as the air current moved through the room.

     Ruby bit her lip. Amethyst knew she wanted to say something but could not. It was kind of entertaining, but it did not last long. Ai had demonstrated some simple moves that she expected Amethyst to imitate. Amethyst gave the most wooden performance imaginable. Her arms and legs were stiff, and it was obvious to anyone that she was definitely not trying. Ruby sighed knowing that the festival was not far off.

     "Not bad but remember to remain loose and try to smile." Ai said as she continued to teach Amethyst how to dance.

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     Aqua watched from a crack in the door as both Amethyst and Ruby practiced for the festival. Aqua saw how fluid Ruby's movements were, and he could not help but to think, "She.. was good at acting too. Her sense for dancing, and the looks she received from her mother..." Aqua imagined Ruby as an idol performing in front of a huge crowd. "I just imagined something terrifying." He murmured to himself.

     He then turned his attention to Amethyst. Her movements were more forceful and violent but were performed skillfully. "I guess it is in the genes." Aqua thought to himself as he watched both of them twirl around the room. Amethyst had a small thin smirk on her face as she continued to dance. Aqua could see her being an Idol too, but he knew her personality would not allow it. He did not have anything to worry about there.

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     On the day of the festival the entire class walked up on stage to perform a simple routine. Amethyst saw Ai in the audience. Her mother was holding up a camera to record the event. It was then that she debated with herself whether or not to implement her plan. As the performance started it was obvious that Ruby had got the majority of attention. Amethyst participated up until the middle of the performance. That is when she slid behind one of the taller boys and disappeared from view for the rest of the dance. She just stood there until the dance was done. When it was done, she smiled and bowed along with everyone else.

     Once everything was said and done Amethyst thought she did a good job balancing her pettiness with the need to please her mother. Things continued on like that for a while. Everything was fine. One day the three of them were sitting on the couch when Aqua suddenly scowled.

     "Have you two ever wondered who our father is?" He asked.

     Amethyst herself did not really give it much thought. Single mothers, and fathers were unfortunately quite common in the States, so she never thought about asking. "No, I have not, and I don't really care."

     Ruby on the other hand looked at Aqua with a deadpan expression. "Idiot. You're getting all depressed over nothing. Isn't it obvious? She obviously had us through virgin conception. There was no man in the first place."

     Amethyst could not help but laugh out loud before saying, "I always knew God was a white man with blond hair and blue eyes." It is funny because there was no way this was a virgin birth unless her statement was true.

     "You're crazy!" Aqua and Ruby both said at the same time before cracking up as well.

     A couple months later, Amethyst stared out the window of their apartment that overlooked the city. It was a pretty sight. "I wonder what it would be like to grow up sorta rich?" she thought to herself as the world continued to move on the streets below.

     "This sake sure hits the feels!" Ichigo said. Amethyst turned to face the drunk man as he continued. "Here, have a drink to celebrate our new home!! Drink up!!"

     It was a ridiculous notion because no one else there besides his wife was of age to drink alcohol. However, it was an interesting sight to see the usually logical and hard-working Ichigo become completely wasted because of the success of his company. As he handed the bottle over to Ai, Miyako intervened.

     "You can't drink yet." She said as she took the bottle. She reminded Ichigo that Ai turns 20 next week and so they would have to wait for the celebratory drinks.

     Aqua looked trapped as Ichigo went on another one of his drunken victory speeches about the numbers that Ai was making in her dramas, as well as other shows. Amethyst walked over to Aqua and pulled him from Ichigo's side saving him the trouble of getting away himself.

     "You always wanted mom to be famous. So how do you feel now?" Amethyst asked curiously.

     Aqua smiled slightly as he said, "It is great to have other people see what we see on a daily basis, but worrying about scandals is a bit scary."

     "How bad can it be? One slip up would not end your career, will it?" Amethyst asked. She was used to the debauchery of the American entertainment industry where even the worst people on the planet would be given jobs by Hollywood. Plus, serial killers in prison would also receive fan mail. "So, a scandal should not be that bad right?" She thought to herself.

     Aqua looked at Amethyst incredulously as if she just said some of the dumbest things imaginable. "Very talented Idols are forced to apologize and go on a multi-year hiatus, and some are even forced to retire."

     "It's that serious?"

     "Yes!" Aqua whisper yelled.

     That night they sat down in front of a big flatscreen TV and watched one of Ai's many TV dramas that she starred in. It was quite strange to watch their mother play a character on screen, but she was good. Amethyst was comfortable in her current position. Their mother was not the overly loving type, but neither was she, so Amethyst did not mind.

     The day started a little differently than the rest. It was the day of the Tokyo Dome performance. Ai walked into their room with a somber expression on her face. She scooped all of them up in a group hug. The warmth of her body permeated through Amethyst as Ai held them in her embrace. Ruby went back to sleep as Aqua and Amethyst got ready for the day.

     The doorbell rang and Ai went to go check the door. Aqua went first changing out of his sleepwear and into some comfortable clothes. Amethyst was next, but by the time Amethyst finished Aqua was already in the next room.

     "YOU DAMNED LIAR!!" A male voice shouted from the other room. Amethyst felt fear settling into the pit of her stomach. She walked over to the door of her room and peered out. Ai was clutching her stomach while Aqua was looking at her with worry in his eyes. Her attention was grabbed by the guy as he began to speak again.

     "You kept spouting all that crap about liking us! All of those were lies, weren't they!?" The deranged man said. Amethyst looked around the room for something to use as a weapon against this crazy man but found nothing in reach.

     Ai struggled to speak as she said, "I have always been irresponsible, I'm such a hopeless human, I don't even know how to love someone." Amethyst eyes continued to scan the room. As Ai continued through haggard breathing. "So Instead, I've been spitting out lies that would make everyone else happy."

     Amethyst tuned out what was being said when she saw her mother's blood pooling on the ground. As the man ran out of the house, Amethyst's logical faculties returned a bit. She ran to lock the door just in case the man came back. As she turned around, she saw the extent of the damage. Watching her mother sputter blood from her mouth was a heart wrenching sight. Amethyst eyes began to water. She looked up at the ceiling, preventing the tears from falling down her face.

     "Well, I sure let my guard down. This is why we have door chains. They didn't teach me that at the orphanage." Ai softly reasoned.

     "Don't talk!!" Aqua exclaimed as he tried to put pressure on the wound. Amethyst walked over with a cloth that might help stem the bleeding.

     As Aqua took the cloth from her Ai pulled both of them into a hug. "I'm sorry." she said softly. "I'm pretty sure, I won't make it. You are not hurt right Aqua, Ame...?" Amethyst was the first to respond, slightly quivering. "No." Aqua then said, "No I'm not."

     "If they had to cancel, apologize to Ichigo for me." Ai said as she looked into their eyes. That is when Ruby banged on the door. "Hey, what's going on? What's happening over there?" Ruby's voice quivered slightly.

     "Ruby stay." Amethyst said, muffled by the clothing of Ai. Aqua on the other hand said, "Don't come, Ruby!"

     Ruby's voice strained as she screamed, "Tell me what's going on!!!"

     "Ruby's dance at the festival... was really good! Amethyst, I saw you hid behind that boy during the dance. It gave me a chuckle. You know, I thought maybe, maybe Ruby will become an idol in the future as well. And if everything went to plan, we could have a parent-child event. That would have been fun! Aqua might become an actor." That is when Ai eyes settled on Amethyst. "Ame... I would have taught you to apply yourself." She said as she caressed Amethyst's cheek. Ai gave a faint smile as Amethyst leaned into her hand.

     "I wanted to watch you three grow up and be right by your side. I was not a very good mother, but I'm glad I brought you guys into the world. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I have to say this. Ruby, Aqua, Ame, I love you." As she said this, she hugged the both of them tighter and placed her hand on the door to comfort Ruby on the other side. "Ah, I finally said it. I'm sorry it took this long. But I am glad. Because those words were true."

     Ai tenderly caressed Aqua's cheek as well. Amethyst watched as the light drained from her mother's eyes. There was no sorting through her emotions. She did not know whether to kick the wall or cry her eyes out. Amethyst just slumped against Ai's cooling body and stayed there until the paramedics arrived.

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3477 words

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