Well, here's another one that's been a really long time coming! Enjoy the read, and know that I'm always grateful for reviews. :)

Chapter Six

The Making of Stars

Usagi had spent the early hours of the morning tossing and turning, knowing that the spreading sunlight meant it was finally an acceptable time to wake. Today was the moment of truth; today the contract would come. With her mother as her support, she broke the news to her father the night before, praying for nothing more than his approval. Eventually his temper calmed, and after many long hours of compromise and discussion, he had agreed to let her "try this idol thing".

Ding-dong.

Usagi leapt from her bed, and flew down the stairs, tearing open the front door. A man dressed in a green and tan couriers' uniform, emblazoned with a black cat, smiled, and traded her a thick envelope for a signature.

"MOM! It's here!" she called, sprinting through the house, sliding across the smooth wooden floors in her sock covered feet. Reaching the kitchen, Usagi paused to rip open the envelope, and pulled out a thick set of papers.

"Take it easy," her father warned from table, as he sipped on a steaming cup of coffee.

"You have to sign it," she said excitedly, grabbing a pen from the counter.

"Have you read through it yet?" Usagi scowled, and joined her father at the table. She began reading over the contract, quickly bored by the legal mumbo-jumbo that filled the page. Before long she had given in to skimming each section, her eyes growing tired and yawns taking hold.

"Okay, I'm done," the girl sighed, "can we sign it now?"

"You sign it, and get to school," her father instructed, "your mother and I will read over it, sign it, and send it back to the company," he stated, knowing Usagi was unable to argue with his stern demeanor.

"Thanks, Daddy," she sighed, forcing a smile before running upstairs to change.

Friday flew by, and upon learning that her parents had sent the contract back, Usagi could hardly relax. The entire thing felt surreal, and with Minako and Rei fully onboard, she knew there was no turning back.

Through a series of stealthy text messages, the rising stars and their two best friends had planned a celebratory sleepover at Minako's place. Usagi's leg bounced anxiously and her fingers drummed against the desk waiting for the school bell to ring. When it finally did, she crammed her belongings into her bag, and at lightning speed raced home to pack for the night.

Armed with an army of drinks and a plethora of snacks, the five friends set up camp in the living room eagerly awaiting their pizza. Despite the early hour, they had already changed into their pajamas, and their girl's night was well underway. Hearing her phone chime, Usagi fished it from her bag, face lighting up as she read the message.

Mamoru: Hey, are we still on for tomorrow?

"What time is the photo thing tomorrow?" Usagi asked, interrupting Minako and Makoto's argument about which model in the magazine was hotter.

"It's at nine, why?" Rei answered, blowing on her freshly painted nails.

The twin-tailed blonde pursed her lips in thought. "What time do you think we'll be done?"

"No idea," Rei shrugged, deferring to her friends, who shared her uncertainty with shaking heads.

"I'd guess it'd take like five or six hours?" Makoto offered.

"I'd assume the same," Ami agreed, holding up two different shades of blue polish for inspection.

"Why?" Minako asked, eyes narrowing. She moved closer to Usagi in a failed attempt to see the girl's screen.

Usagi: Yes! I'm free after 4. Is that ok?

"Usagi?" Minako inched closer. "Who is it?"

"Hm?" Usagi raised her brow, yet her eyes remained focused on her phone.

Mamoru: OK. Can you meet me at Azabu Juuban station?

Usagi: Sure. J

Mamoru sat on his couch, staring at the screen. His heart raced as he tapped at his chin, trying desperately to think of something more to say; something to keep her talking.

Mamoru: Didn't see you at the Crown.

Usagi: Couldn't go. Sleepover at Minako's.

"Who are you texting?" Ami wondered, Usagi's distracted state and blatant unwillingness to answer the question fueling her curiosity.

"My tutor," Usagi mumbled, avoiding eye contact; she had never been good at keeping her own secrets.

"So math makes you blush?" Makoto smirked as Usagi shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I'm not blushing."

"You are too," Minako chirped, frowning as Usagi pulled her phone closer to chest.

"You have a tutor?" Ami asked excitedly, face beaming with pride, happy to see her friend truly make an effort in her studies. "Who is it? Is it someone from the math club?"

"The math club?" Usagi crinkled her nose. "No."

"Why, Ami? Do you like someone from the math club?" Minako suggested having had an inkling for quite some time, and elated at the opportunity to bring it up.

"No!" Ami stammered, cheeks reddening as she abruptly turned her attention back to her nails.

"Come on Usagi, tell us who it really is." Rei sighed, rolling her eyes – enough was enough.

"It really is my tutor," she insisted, growing quickly exhausted of the topic at hand.

"You have a crush on him," Minako sang, taking the red ribbon from her hair and pulling her blonde locks into a ponytail.

"I do not." The pink phone vibrated in her hand, and she struggled to resist the urge to look. "What about Ami's math club crush?"

"Don't change the subject!" Ami scolded, dipping her chin as she shot Usagi a disapproving glare; she did not appreciate being thrown under the bus.

"Your eyes have been glued to your phone since he first texted you," Minako stated, itching to know who this mystery tutor was.

"Does this mean you're over Mamoru?" Makoto wondered, cocking her head to the side. Four pairs of eyes stared at Usagi, waiting expectantly for an answer. Could this really be the end of the crush-on-Mamoru era? The blonde could feel the red stain spread over her face, deflecting the question with a simple shrug.

"Wait." Minako held up her finger, eyes narrowing and a sly grin sweeping her lips. "Does this mean you're admitting that you have or at one time had a crush on Mamoru?"

"If I say yes, we can stop talking about it?" Usagi countered, growing increasingly aggravated.

"Fine, tell us all about tutor boy!" Rei demanded.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie?" Usagi suggested, tucking her phone under her leg as she rifled through a pile of DVDs. "This one looks good."

"Come on, Usagi. We're your best friends." Minako put on her best puppy dog eyes, and pushed her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, which only resulted in Usagi laughing, and throwing a pillow at her friend's head.

"Hey!"

"How about this… you don't have to tell us who it is, just tell us something about him," Makoto bargained, hoping that once Usagi got started, she would spill. Rei and Minako nodded in unison.

"Fine," Usagi caved, "he doesn't go to our school, and he's really smart so that's why he's helping me." The room fell silent as each of the girls processed the information, running through lists of possible candidates.

"I know who it is," Ami stated, attention still focused on her fingers.

"Who?!" Rei, Makoto, and Minako yelled, heads snapping to look at Ami.

"How?!" Usagi shrieked, praying for once that the genius was wrong.

"Usagi, there's only one person you would be this embarrassed to tell us is helping you," Ami said, as Rei's shoulders dropped in realization. She should have guessed.

"Mamoru is tutoring you," Rei confirmed, as Minako and Makoto chorused a soft 'oooh'.

"Ami!" Usagi scowled.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's wonderful that you're working so hard to get better grades, and Mamoru would be a great tutor. He's helped me a few times at the arcade," she explained, hoping that her reasoning would help soften the look of betrayal that plagued Usagi's face.

"Is he tutoring you in other things?" Minako wiggled her brows suggestively.

"He's just a math tutor, that's all," Usagi reiterated sharply, shoulders stiffening. "Can we move on now, please?"

"Okay, okay," Minako agreed, knowing that if they pushed too hard Usagi wouldn't be sharing any juicy details in the future.

After exhausting every possible rumour, hours of half-watching bad television, and emptying their arsenal of snacks, the girls had settled down for the night. As her friends drifted into sleep, Usagi found herself staring at the ceiling, watching the shadows play. However, it wasn't the potentially life-altering events that were keeping here awake, it was the study session she had scheduled after – the study session with Mamoru.

Ami and Makoto bid Usagi, Minako, and Rei farewell at the station, and the three girls hopped onto the train and headed off to the studio. Their hearts pounded, and they filled their commute with nervous chatter, and guesses of what their styling would be like. When they reached their destination, they found Kunzite waiting at the door, handsomely dressed in a sleek, charcoal suit.

"Good morning, ladies," he greeted them, his voice like liquid silver. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Minako said, as her companions bobbed their heads.

"Follow me." Kunzite ushered them through the building, and passing employees nodded polite hellos. Their jaws dropped as they entered the studio, surprised by the flurry of activity already taking place. A large, white backdrop stood prominently in the room, surrounded by an audience of lights. To the far right were racks upon racks of clothes, just begging to be tried on, and a makeup station was set up against the wall. Kunzite took the girls to a meeting area, extending his arm inviting them to take a seat.

"This looks incredible," Usagi cooed, eyes wide and an incredulous smile pulling at her lips.

"We're all excited to have you three here," Kunzite replied. "I'm glad you were all able to get the contacts back to us so quickly." He grinned, and Minako discretely pinched her thigh to keep herself focused. "We'll start working on songs soon, but we'd like to get some promotional materials shot today, does that sound good?" Unable to form any sort of verbal reply, they nodded in unison. "Excellent."

Standing from his chair, Kunzite excused himself, and the three girls released hushed squeals of delight. They shook out their nerves, and smoothed their cheeks, each readjusting their outfit and posture.

"I can't believe we're actually here." Rei clasped her hands in her lap, taking in their surroundings.

"I know, I already feel like a celebrity," Minako beamed, whipping out her cell phone and snapping a few photos. Usagi kept the smile painted on her face, yet couldn't fully shake off her nerves – what if no one liked her?

"This is Hana, she'll be styling you girls today," Kunzite said as he returned to the group, a slender woman with high cheekbones and purple hair in tow. She smiled warmly, and bowed.

"Should we get started?" she asked, looking at Kunzite for the go ahead.

"We'll start with the group shot," he instructed, motioning at the three girls with his finger. "And then we'll try a few individual styles to see what works best."

"All right, come with me!" She lead the trio to the makeup station, and Rei was first to hop into the chair. Hana lead Minako and Usagi over to the clothing rack, setting aside a variety of black shorts and crop tops for them to try.

"Where do we change?" Usagi whispered, scanning the studio for somewhere private.

"Right here." Minako shrugged, and promptly pulled her shirt over her head. "Come on, it's nothing no one hasn't seen before," she said, pushing her arms through the openings. Usagi's cheeks flushed pink, and she moved to stand behind the rack – hoping to maintain a little modesty.

Several changes later, Usagi found herself dressed, accessorised, and sitting to have her hair and makeup done. She watched Minako and Rei in the mirror as Hana held up more outfits for them to try later that day – ideas for their personal photos.

"Hey, Han?" the makeup artist called the stylist over. "What are we doing with her hair?" Usagi swallowed, corners of her lips twitching as they debated and left her out of the conversation. The hairstylist began pulling the bobby pins from the buns on her head, and Usagi tried desperately to be comfortable with their decision to get rid of her signature look.

The blonde sat patiently as the stylist and an assistant twisted and pulled at her locks, pinning and tying, until eventually they were finished. They applied a modest amount of makeup to her porcelain skin, complimenting her complexion, and making her shine. For the second time that month, Usagi was dumbfounded by her reflection in the mirror – there was no way that could really be her.

"All right, girls! Let's take some photos," Kunzite called, waving the trio over to the white backdrop, and bright lights, where seated in the centre was a silver chesterfield with sparkling rhinestones decorating its deep-buttoned upholstery.

"Start on the couch," the photographer instructed, leaning down to peer through the eyepiece. "We'll start with a couple of test shots, so just chat and act natural," he explained, taking a step back and clicking the remote in his hand.

"This is going to be your debut photo," Kunzite said, "so we want you interacting with each other and having fun." The girls nodded, and exchanged nervous smiles. Lights popped, the camera clicked, and both Kunzite and Hana watched each frame as it scrolled across a computer screen.

"Keep up the energy, ladies!" the photographer yelled, thirty frames into the venture.

"Don't be afraid to try something different," Hana offered, as they produced the same still time and time again.

Eventually the girls friends began to loosen up, with Minako taking the lead and trying a new pose every shot; she'd watched enough modelling shows to know what to do. Hearing the praise directed at Minako, Rei and Usagi followed suit, each bringing their own special charm to the photo.

"All right!" Kunzite clapped, slipping off his stool and approaching the set finally satisfied. He turned and waved over a brunette woman, who smiled warmly at the trio. "I'd like to introduce you to Risa from ," he said, as she extended her hand for each girl to shake. "She's going to be doing a short interview with each of you for the website."

"I'm looking forward to getting to know you girls, and I'm sure our readers will too," she beamed. "How about start with you?" She pointed to Rei, who nodded politely.

"Minako, Usagi, you two get ready for your individual shoots," Kunzite instructed, "and we can get started on those interviews."

Changing from shorts and bright pink crop top, Usagi found herself much more comfortable in the pastel romper set aside for her. Her hair had been restyled in a simple high ponytail, and she took to the set with cautious optimism.

"Okay Usagi," the photographer said, "this is all about you. We want to see some of your personality. Be sweet, be charming." Her head bobbed, and the shoot began. Pose after pose Usagi could feel her smile fading as she struggled with what to do. Her legs felt gangly, her arms constantly got in the way, and what on earth did people do with their hands in pictures? Panic began to show on her face as she became buried in an avalanche of uncertainty.

"Charming, not boring!" He yelled, stomping his foot and pulling his hair.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked, biting back tears.

Watching the scene unfold, Minako rushed over and tapped the photographer on the shoulder. "Can I talk to her for a sec?" she asked.

"Hurry."

Minako placed her hands firmly on Usagi's shoulders, forcing her to look at her straight on. "Usagi, you can do this," she said. "It's just a few photos – we take photos all the time." She flicked her wrist, as if to demonstrate how easy it was. "No pressure, relax, smile, jump around if you want," she urged, and Usagi nodded, her broken confidence slowly returning. "Think of Mamoru if it helps." Minako winked and Usagi blushed; half-wishing she hadn't said anything about him at all. "You got this."

"Okay, I got this," she repeated, loosening her joints in preparation for round two.

"Are we ready now?" the photographer asked, weight shifted to one leg.

"I'm ready. I'm sorry." Minako left the set, flashing a thumbs up to her friend.

Usagi's portion of the photoshoot wrapped on a positive note as she fled to wardrobe to return to her regular clothing. With Minako being interviewed, and Rei waiting for touch-ups, Usagi decided to try a selfie or two with her phone. After all, Minako had been snapping pictures and posting rampantly on Instagram all day. With the lens turned towards her, she tried frame after frame: lips pursed, big smile, sultry pout, mouth open in shock, coy grin… no matter what she tried, the girl in the photos looked nothing like her.

"Usagi, you're up!" Kunzite called, beckoning her over with a wave of his finger. She scurried over and took a seat, sitting on her hands to keep them from fidgeting in her lap.

"All right Usagi," Risa started, clicking her pen and pressing record on her phone. "We're just looking at getting to you know you, so be yourself, okay?"

"Okay."

"Great! So, what do you like to do in your free time?" Risa asked.

"Well, I like going to the arcade with my friends, and playing video games," she replied, their silence making her feel as if her answers weren't quite what they were looking for. "Um, I like reading manga?" she added.

"Good, okay. How about some less… ordinary hobbies?" Risa pushed. "Like Minako, she's into fashion and choreography, and Rei is studying to be a priestess at the temple…"

"I like spending time in the park?" That wasn't ordinary for a girl of her age, was it?

"Stick with video games," Kunzite said, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Tons of fans love video games, too," Risa remarked. "How about your favourite subject a school?"

"Lunch?" she joked, choking out a nervous giggle when no one else cracked a smile. "Uh, home economics, I guess," she mumbled, cheeks pink and tiny beads of sweat dotting her brow.

"That's good." Kunzite's head bobbed with approval. "Male fans especially will love that," he noted.

"What made you want to be in a singing group?" Risa continued.

"Well, I love karaoke, and it was such a blast performing at the festival. I'd love to feel like that every day," she said honestly, earning a whole-hearted smile.

The questions rolled on and Usagi tried to deliver charming answers as they covered every topic from favourite food to dream vacation. Kunzite frowned from time to time, causing Usagi to second guess her replies. Maybe she just wasn't she interesting enough.

"Last question, what would you say is your type?" the interview asked, leaning forward.

"My type?"

"Yes, readers always love knowing that kind of info," she explained, looking at Usagi expectantly.

"My type of what?" she wondered; had she been the only one not to understand the question?

"Guy," Risa cooed, clearly looking for something juicy to incorporate.

"Oh…" Usagi paused to consider her answer. "He's tall, smart, dark hair, beautiful eyes, wears glasses…" Her attention flitted between Risa and Kunzite – was this acceptable?

"That's quite specific." Risa winked. "Someone in mind?"

"No," Usagi stammered, ears burning as she swallowed nervously. "Just, you know, my ideal guy."

"Well, thank you Usagi." Risa stood and extended her hand. "It was great meeting you."

"You too." She forced the corners of her lips upwards.

Risa grabbed her phone, turning off the recorder, and filed her pen and papers back into her leather briefcase. "I'll get to work on this piece, and send it over for approval?"

"Sounds good," Kunzite agreed. "Don't forget the uh-" He stole a glance at Usagi from the corner of his eye. "edits," he whispered.

"Will do." She winked.

When everything was said and done, the crew erupted into a boisterous applause, congratulating the girls on a successful first day of work. Kunzite bid them farewell, with the promise of getting their social media accounts set up for their next meeting – Monday after school. Still high from the rush of excitement, Minako and Rei chattered away while Usagi remained uncharacteristically quiet. Everything had seemed so natural for her friends; even their original looks and style. They kept the red bow Minako so frequently wore, commenting that it was cute and unique. And apparently had nothing to edit in Rei's interview; everything she said oozed regality and charm.

"You okay?" Rei asked, linking her arm through Usagi's as an offer of comfort.

"Yeah, just tired." She pasted on a smile, silently begging them not to probe any further.

"Grab an energy drink and perk yourself up," Minako said. "It's study time." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing Rei to shake her head, and Usagi to roll her eyes.

"I'll see you guys later," the blonde untangled her arm from Rei's, and waved as she headed down the steps to the subway station.

"Good luck!" their voices echoed after her.

Usagi sank into the plush train seat with a heavy sigh, praying that the rest of the day went smoother than it had started. She caught her reflection in the window, and frowned – why had she not been good enough? She scratched at her cheek, mouth contorting into disgust as make-up came off thick under her nail.

Reaching her stop, Usagi sprinted up the stairs and into the washroom, digging through her purse for wipes to remove what felt like paint. Hands clutching the edge of the sink, she stared into the mirror, scowling at the blotchy patches on her freshly scrubbed skin. She splashed cold water on her face and the redness subsided, making her breathe in relief. She reapplied her usual fare: a light eyeshadow, some simple mascara, and gloss, instantly feeling like herself again. With a smile to herself to erase the trails of sadness in her eyes, she pushed out the door to confront the rest of the challenges the day had to offer.