| Fan Fiction |
by Hibiscus
“She’s gone, Ariel.” Rosalinda stood beside her and they both gazed at the now empty road with different expressions. Rosalinda’s expression depicted sadness at the loss, a resignation and some anger. Ariel’s face was filled with rage. Not just anger, no. Rosalinda’s anger paled in comparison to Ariel’s rage.
“She shouldn’t have gone.” Ariel bit out.
Rosalinda stood quiet.
“She left everything: school, us, Sebastian…her future." Mina’s belief in herself had been entirely shattered; her self-esteem had been totally destroyed. Her cheerfulness and her optimism were totally gone and she had become a shell of the person she used to be.
The girls had tried everything they could. Especially Ariel who felt solely responsible for what had happened but Mina couldn’t seem to come out of the dark place she had retreated to. Finally in sheer desperation, the girls had called Mina’s mom, who had taken one look at her and decided to take her back home for however long it took Mina to heal. Mina’s core had been shattered. Sam had started the job and Chun had neatly finished it.
“She should have stayed and fought.” Ariel said again, frustration lacing her words.
“She’s not you, Ariel.” Rosalinda said softly. Ariel didn’t, couldn’t reply. “Let’s go inside.”
The atmosphere inside the house was sober. Ceci and Patience were sitting at the kitchen table, solemn expressions on their faces. When Ariel and Rosalinda came inside, Ceci gestured to the empty chairs. “Sit, we need to have a meeting.”
They sat. “With Mina gone, we need to advertise for another room mate.” Ceci said softly, hesitantly…apologetically.
“No.” Ariel immediately replied. “No. I’ll take care of Mina’s share. She might come back.”
“Ariel, don’t be silly. I don’t think she’s coming back anytime soon.” Ceci replied. Patience and Rosalinda followed the exchange with wide eyes.
“She might. There is always that possibility and until that possibility is completely eradicated, I’m not giving it up. It’s money you want, I’ll get it to you. K?” Ariel spoke rapidly. Ceci blinked, taken aback at the ferocity of her words and then nodded slowly.
“Are we just going to let him get away with this?” Patience spoke up, enunciating each word clearly and as carefully as one would handle a bomb.
“No.” Rosalinda and Ariel answered at the same time and then looked at each other.
“No.” Ariel repeated again. “It’s my fight.”
“You are wrong, Ariel. It is our fight.” Rosalinda retorted. “Mina was our friend, ours. Not just yours.”
“You don’t understand.” Ariel frowned.
“I don’t need to. I know what I know.” Rosalinda was firm. “We just have to figure out a way to give him a taste of his own medicine.”
Ariel looked thoughtful.
“Guys, he is a superstar. And we…we are no one. How are we supposed to humiliate someone to whom all we are are pesky flies? He is a powerful man with legions of fans. Can we really do it?” Ceci reasoned.
Ariel noticed that nobody denied the fact that they needed revenge.
Patience spoke up. “We need to even the playing field. We need to get on the same level as him.”
“What do you mean? Don’t tell me you think one of us should try to be an idol?” Rosalinda was disbelieving.
“Why not?” Patience replied.
“Don’t be crazy, Patch. This is not a TV show or a movie. It’s real life.” Rosalinda replied. “Don’t joke around.”
“I’m not joking.” Patience was resolute. She turned to Ariel. “You haven’t said anything about my idea.”
“I know you are right. To utterly humiliate him, we need to be either on the same level as him or above. But idol…?” Ariel shrugged.
“Yeah, Patch. Idol?” Ceci shook her head.
“Why is it so impossible? It can be done, easily in fact. One movie or drama, if it’s a hit, you are a superstar.” Patience replied calmly.
“And which one of us do you think has that talent, Patch?” Rosalinda sounded annoyed.
Patience looked at Ariel. “She does. You do.” She said to Ariel, addressing her.
Ariel raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?” A smile curled her lips.
Rosalinda looked at Ariel. “Can you act?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried.” Ariel replied.
“Liar.” Patience said softly and Ariel’s eyebrows rose.
“Excuse me?” She said.
“How many faces do you have, Lin Yi Chen?” Patience replied and Ariel stiffened. It was as though a shutter had fallen on her face and her chin rose.
“How did you know?” Ariel asked her tone frosty.
“It’s not exactly a secret, Ariel.” Patience smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s between you and me. But I want this revenge as much as you do, maybe even more.”
“What?” Rosalinda glanced from Ariel to Patience looking confused.
“Nothing.” Ariel replied.
“Call Jason, Rosa.” Ceci said all of a sudden.
“What?” Rosa frowned.
“He’s an agent at that management company, isn’t he? The same one that Rainie Yang and her harem are under?” Ceci continued.
“Yeah.” Rosa nodded.
“Ask him for his advice. Ask him to find Ariel a job in a drama.” Ceci smiled and it wasn’t a nice smile.
Ariel studied each woman’s face and then finally nodded. “I’ll do it.
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Rosalinda had invited Jason for dinner. She never did that. Never. Ariel wondered if he was suspicious. Patience seemed extra bright, an animation that was usually scarce in her made her flutter around the kitchen, checking pots and setting the table.
“I’m nervous.” Ceci announced over a pot of stew.
“I’m the one who has to be able to act.” Ariel said wryly.
“I know. I’m still nervous.” Ceci stirred harder.
“I could be the idol.” Rosalinda offered.
“No.” Patience shook her head. “It has to be Ariel.”
“Why?” Rosalinda asked curiously and Patience gave Ariel a look laden with meaning.
“I’m the newest. She doesn’t feel as bad handing me over to be sacrificed.” Ariel said even more wryly.
“Patience would never do such a thing.” Ceci said firmly.
“Yeah right.” Rosa snorted.
“Your bread is on fire.” Ariel pointed out while cutting carrots.
“What?! Where? Omg! Why didn’t you say something before? Wait a minute, I’m not making bread.” Ceci jumped around in panic before realization dawned and she turned and frowned at Ariel, hands on her hips.
Ariel smiled beatifically. “I’m just saying. If you were making bread it could have been on fire.”
“You are so not funny. You are so unfunny it’s not funny.” Ceci replied and Ariel laughed.
Rosalinda and Patience started laughing while Ceci threw a kitchen towel at Ariel who ducked.
Just then the doorbell rang.
“Go get it.” Rosalinda said Patience.
“You get it. He’s YOUR uncle.” Patience huffed.
“Well, I don’t wanna bone him, YOU do!” Rosalinda smirked.
Patience went red in an instant. “Rosalinda!!” She shrieked.
Ariel rolled her eyes and pushed off from the table. “I’ll get it.”
Ariel opened the door to find Jason on the doorstep with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. He was dressed really nicely and smelt good. Ariel sniffed appreciatively. Then she looked at the flowers and the wine and then back at him.
“Did Rosalinda say she was going on a date with you?” Ariel frowned.
“What? Ewww.” Jason looked nauseated.
“What’s wrong with going on a date with me?” Rosalinda came up behind Ariel and put her hands on her hips and frowned at her uncle.
“No, I didn’t mean that. I’m your uncle, for God’s sake!” Jason said, stuttering a little, at a loss for words.
“Well, who are the flowers for then?” Rosalinda demanded.
Before he could reply, Ariel yelled. “Patch, Jason bought flowers for you!” And then to Jason, “We’ll take the wine, if you don’t mind.” Smiling sweetly, they led the befuddled Jason to the living room. Ceci poured some wine into a sparkling glass and Patience delivered it. Then they sat him down on a sofa and sat beside him. Then as though synchronized, they smiled. Jason looked from one smiling face to another and then took a long sip of his drink.
“Why do I feel like I’ve wandered into the tiger’s den?” He said.
“I have no idea why you would think that.” Rosalinda replied. “Here Patience, you sit beside him.” She dragged Patience who was sitting on the far side of Jason to sit beside him, practically fused them together. Patience’s face burned. Rosalinda smiled unrepentantly.
“Okay, what do you want?” Jason was a shrewd man and he had been around Rosalinda long enough that he knew her.
“Ariel.” Rosalinda pointed to Ariel who smiled lazily back at Jason who swallowed. “Idol.”
Jason’s eyes widened and he choked on the wine. Ceci slapped him on the back. “What did you say?” He said when he could speak again.
“Ariel wants to become an idol.” Ceci said sweetly.
“Ariel wants to what?” He was having a difficult time comprehending apparently.
“Become an idol.” Patience moved closer and Jason swallowed.
“All of a sudden?” He asked in a squeaky voice.
The girls exchanged looks and then Ariel spoke. “Yeah, I woke up yesterday morning and while I was drinking orange juice, it came to me. The purpose of my life. To be an idol and receive tons of adulation and free gifts.”
“What? Seriously?” Jason was disbelieving.
“Yea. Totally.” Ariel gave a wide eyed look of total seriousness.
“And I’m here…because…” Jason trailed off.
“Well duh. You are not stupid, Jason.” Rosalinda said.
“Call me Uncle.”
“No.You are an agent at a talent management company which specializes in idols. And Ariel wants to be an idol. Do the math.” Rosalinda completely disregarded her uncle’s request and ploughed on.
“And here I thought you wanted the pleasure of my company.” Jason muttered.
“We do.” Patience smiled at him. “We even cooked dinner.”
“Is it poisoned?” Jason looked uncomfortable.
“We can’t kill you…yet.” Ceci grinned and Jason looked even more alarmed.
“So what do you think? Can you help Ariel?” Rosalinda gestured impatiently to Ariel.
Jason gave Ariel a head to toe scrutiny. Ariel smiled completely at ease with his probing look.
“Do you have any talent?” He asked. “Or rather, what is your talent?”
“I can do everything.” Ariel replied and the other girls, all except Patience looked surprised.
Jason looked skeptic. “Do something.”
“Like what?” Ariel leaned forward looking more amused than she ever had.
“Sing for us.” Jason leaned back, confident.
“No.” Ariel replied.
“You can’t sing?” Jason frowned.
“I can. I just don’t want to.” Ariel replied coolly.
“But you want to be an idol…”
“I do.”
“But you won’t sing.”
“I won’t.”
“So how…”
“Idols act, don’t they?” Rosalinda drawled, bored.
“Oh. You want to act. Can you act?” Jason said cautiously.
Ariel sighed. “Yes.”
“Hmm…give me something, act out a scene or character.” Jason persisted.
“Okay.” Ariel nodded. Then she leaned forward and her entire demeanor changed. Instantly her eyes filled with tears, anguish and pain. So much pain, everyone in the room felt it. One tear fell and Ariel ducked her head, as though ashamed of the weakness the tear showed. And the girls’ understood that it was Mina she was channeling. Then Ariel looked up and the tears were gone, the anguish was gone, the pain was gone. She was smiling.
“That enough?” She asked.
Jason breathed. And nodded. “There’s an audition coming up for this idol drama called Chances. Mike He and Rainie Yang. The public loves their pairing. There’s a part open for Mike’s character’s first girlfriend. The part is not that big but it’s very important. The girlfriend and Rainie get into a car accident and the girlfriend dies. Rainie’s fault. And then she spends all her time, her entire life with Mike trying to make up for killing the woman he loves. And y’noe, romance develops between them.”
“What’s your company’s name?” Ariel asked in a curious manner.
“L Talents.” Jason replied taken off guard. Then. “Why?”
“Oh no reason. Just curious.” Ariel smiled. She got up. “Guys, go ahead with dinner. I have a phone call to make.”
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Author's Note: So I posted some of my totally fictional stuff. Actually a short story, symbolistic etc. http://www.winglin.net/fanfic/TheHibiscus1/ Check it out if you are interested. Haha. That's my usual writing style. And it's rather sad, actually it's a lot sad. But I liked it. I hope you are enjoying Fire Light. Look forward to Kettle's stories. She's working hard.