Chapter 27: Betrayal Yume awoke the next morning to the sound of her ring tone blasting at full volume. Groggily, she cracked open one eyelid and felt around the bedside table until her fingers wrapped around her cell phone. “Moshi moshi,” she mumbled, bringing the phone to her ear as she tried in vain to hold back a yawn. She hadn’t fallen asleep until well after midnight, trying to stay up as late as possible in case there was any news. “It’s a boy!” a familiar male voice announced, sounding far too chipper for so early in the morning. “You have a new nephew!” “Ken?” She sat up and tossed her blanket aside, suddenly feeling much more alert. “Sora had the baby?” “At 6:37 this morning. He’s six pounds, ten ounces, 21 inches long, and absolutely perfect,” he boasted. “We’ve decided to call him Ren.” “Congratulations!” “Thanks. Hana wasn’t too much trouble last night, was she?” “No, not at all,” Yume said, reaching for yesterday‘s clothes, which she had tossed on the floor, and putting them back on. They would have to do for now, since she hadn’t expected to spend the night at Sora’s house. “Can we come visit? I can‘t wait to see him.” “Of course. Sora’s sleeping at the moment, but feel free to drop by. I’m going to go call Mom, Dad, and Lucy, and…do you think it would be too late to call your parents in Japan? It’s around midnight there, right?” “I don’t think they would mind. Hana and I will be there as soon as we can. Bye!” Unable to stop smiling, Yume headed across the hall to Hana’s bedroom and lightly shook her niece’s shoulder. “Time to wake up, Hana-onee-chan.” “Onee-chan?” Hana looked up at Yume in confusion, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Why are you ca—“ She gasped, realizing the significance of those words. “Mama had the baby? I’m a big sister?” “Yes, you have a brand new baby brother named Ren.” Hana let out a high-pitched shriek that nearly blew out Yume’s eardrums and started jumping up and down on the bed. “I wanna see him! I wanna see him!” Yume laughed and set Hana down on the floor before she hurt herself. “We’ll go to the hospital after breakfast. Can you get dressed by yourself?” “I’m a big sister. Of course I can!” While Hana changed, Yume went downstairs and made them a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. Hana practically inhaled her plate and couldn’t sit still as Yume ate her meal at a fast, but more leisurely, pace. “Come on, come on, come on, Aunt Yume!” she whined, wiggling around in her chair. “You’re sooooo slow!” “Oh, am I?” Yume quipped, moving her fork in extra-slow-motion. Hana rolled her eyes. “Aunt Yume…” “Okay, okay, I’m finished,” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin after taking a final bite of her eggs. “Let’s go!” Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Cape Mary General Hospital. One of the first people Yume spotted was Becca’s mother Kate, who was waiting for an elevator to open in the lobby. Yume waved and jogged to catch up with her, Hana trailing right behind. “Dr. Thomas!” “Oh, hello, Yume,” the doctor said, smiling. “What are you doing here?” “Mama had a baby!” Hana announced before Yume even had the chance. “I’m a big sister now!” “Congratulations! That’s wonderful news.” “Yes, it is. We came to see him, but I don’t know where the maternity ward is,” Yume admitted. At that moment, the elevator doors slid opened. Dr. Thomas stepped inside and motioned for them to join her. “It’s on the third floor,” she said, pushing the “3” button as the doors closed behind them. “I’m actually on my way up there to check on the condition of a baby I delivered yesterday, so I’ll take you to the nursery myself.” “Thanks!” When they reached the third floor, Dr. Thomas led them to the maternity ward. Along with Ren, there were six other babies in the nursery, all wrapped in identical blue and pink blankets. Hana stood on her tiptoes to look into the window at her newborn brother, asking, “Which one is Ren, Aunt Yume?” “Hmm…there he is,” Yume said, pointing out the second baby on the left whose crib was labeled “Ren Naegino Robbins”. He looked very much like Hana did when she was born, save for a few dark curls poking out from underneath his hat. “Aw, he’s so cute and tiny!” “He certainly is,” Dr. Thomas agreed. Beside them, Hana began hopping up and down. “I still can’t see him!” “Here.” Joining them, Ken scooped his daughter in his arms to give her a better view inside the nursery. Hana was instantly entranced, pressing her hands against the glass as she stared down at her new brother in awe. “Wow…” “He is pretty incredible, isn’t he?” Ken said with pride, gazing down at his son for a few moments before turning his attention to Yume. “By the way, thanks again for looking after Hana and bringing her over, Yume.” “No problem. I was happy to help,” Yume said, pulling out her cell phone and snapping a picture of Ren to show to her friends. “Is Sora still sleeping?” “Yeah, she’s exhausted.” “You look pretty tired, too,” she pointed out, noting the light circles under Ken’s eyes. “If you need me to watch Hana for a little while longer…” He shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine. I’ve been drinking coffee all night. Besides, doesn’t rehearsal start soon? You should be going if you don’t want to be late.” Yume checked the time on her phone, surprised to discover it was already ten minutes to nine. She would definitely be cutting it close. “Oh, no, you’re right! Coach Wong is going to kill me. I need to go. Bye!” ***** Sure enough… “Yume Naegino, you’re late!” Coach Wong barked from her spot at the boards, tapping the face of her watch with her fingertip when Yume burst through the doors to the practice rink, ten minutes after rehearsal was scheduled to start. “Do you realize that the show opens at the end of this month? You may be one of the headliners, but that‘s no excuse to waltz in here whenever you feel like it.” Yume pressed her hands together and bowed in apology, falling back into ingrained habits. “Sorry, sorry!” she said. “My nephew was born this morning. I just came back from the hospital.” “Oh, Sora had her baby?” The coach lost some of the edge in her voice, and Yume thought she saw the corners of her mouth twitch in what may have been a smile. “That is wonderful news, but, still…” Coach Wong, reverting back to her usual self, cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the other skaters who were already out on the ice, rehearsing one of the numbers that didn‘t require Yume‘s presence. “Let’s not make this a habit, okay? Hurry up and put on your skates. Next up will be the scene where Seraphina meets Frost for the first time.” “Yes, ma’am!” Yume took a seat on one of the benches and began changing out of her sneakers and into her skates. Out of the corner of her eye, she happened to notice Ekaterina staring at her from her spot at the boards, about ten feet away. Yume waved in greeting, but Ekaterina barely acknowledged the gesture, quickly turning her focus back toward Mikhail and the other skaters on the ice. That was strange, Yume thought, bringing her hand back down. Was Ekaterina that upset about Mikhail choosing to go to dinner at Sora‘s over spending time with her? She knew Ekaterina wouldn’t be happy about it, but she didn’t think it would be that big a deal. She finished lacing up her skates and stood back up, intending to apologize for whatever offense she had unknowingly done to Ekaterina, but before she could, Coach Wong called for her to take the ice for Seraphina’s and Frost’s first meeting. Yume sighed and made a mental note to talk to Ekaterina later. The last thing she wanted was Mikhail’s sister to be mad at her. She met up with Mikhail at the gate that served as the entrance to the ice. Their part of the number wouldn’t actually start until about two minutes in, so they had a private moment to themselves. Mikhail reached for her hand and chastely kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, good morning,” he said. “I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t make it. Everything okay with your sister?” “Oh, yes, she and baby Ren are doing great,” Yume said. “I just got back from dropping Hana off from the hospital with her dad.” “Congratulations! So…does that mean your baby-sitting duties are over?” “Yeah, I don’t think they’ll need me anymore today. I’m sure Ken’s parents will be happy to look after Hana if needed.” “Good.” Tilting her head to the side, Yume asked, “Why? Do you have something in mind?” Mikhail coughed into his fist, an uncharacteristic flush coloring his cheeks. “Well, I was just thinking I could come visit you tonight…and maybe we could pick up where we left off?” “Oh!” Yume blushed as well, remembering what had almost happened last night before Hana had interrupted them. With all the excitement of the morning, she had almost forgotten. “You don’t want me to?” Yume’s gaze shifted over to Ekaterina, who was again staring at her, and frowned. “No, it’s not that. I definitely do!” she assured him. “But what about Katia? I think she‘s mad that you ignored her last night to go out with me. Maybe it would be better if you spent some time with her.” Mikhail rolled his eyes. “I plan to spend plenty of time with Katia today. She’s already made me promise to treat her to dinner at the best restaurant in the city, then take her to some modern art exhibit at the museum she‘s been wanting to see. I’m sure she won’t mind if I sneak out for a couple of hours of private time afterwards. Now, Fool might pose more of a problem…” “Oh, don’t worry about Fool,” Yume said, already thinking of several ways to make certain the perverted Spirit of the Stage wouldn’t become a voyeur of their special night. Sora had given her a couple of tips that could come in handy. “I’ll take care of him.” “Then, it’s a date?” he asked as Yume stepped out onto the ice, preparing her cue. Looking back at him over her shoulder as she skated to join the others, she grinned. “Yes, it’s a date.” ***** It was by far their best rehearsal to date. Even Coach Wong had to admit the show was coming along well, complimenting Mikhail on his improving performance and Yume on her perfectly landed triple axels. “But there’s always room for improvement,” she was quick to add before dismissing them. Yume exchanged a few words with Mikhail, making plans to meet up in a few minutes to head for the skating center, then joined her friends, who were taking off their skates. Clarissa and Elizaveta offered her their congratulations on becoming an aunt again, but Pilar, of course, was far more interested in what was happening between her and Mikhail. “So, tonight’s the night, huh?” she asked in a low voice, poking Yume in the ribs with her elbow. “Finally going to seal the deal?” Yume’s ability to comprehend English slang must have been improving -- or maybe she had just become accustomed to Pilar’s particular style of speaking -- because she immediately picked up the meaning behind the question, her eyes widening in shock. “How do you even know that?” she whispered, grateful that the other two were discussing some changes Mia had made to the choreography and therefore had not overheard. “I happen to have very good hearing,” Pilar said with a shrug, not even embarrassed to confess that she had been eavesdropping on what was supposed to be a private conversation. “By the way, what is this ‘Fool’ you mentioned?” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you keeping some kind of pet in your dorm room? You know Kalos doesn’t allow performers to keep pets in the dorms.” Flustered, Yume had no choice but to play dumb. Pilar wouldn’t believe her even if she told the truth about the Spirit of the Stage who was haunting her. “F-Fool? I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must have misheard something.” “Hmm, maybe…” She sounded dubious, but fortunately let the subject drop, going back to the original topic. “But I know I heard correctly about you two making plans to see each other tonight.” “It’s just a date…” “Oh, please. Don’t try to fool me. I could sense the sexual tension between you two all during practice. Which reminds me, I have something for you.” She reached for her skate bag and pulled out a couple of small square- shaped packages, which she placed in Yume‘s hand. “For protection,” she said with a knowing wink. “Stick to just being an auntie for now, okay? Motherhood can wait.” “Pilar!” Her outburst was loud enough to distract Clarissa and Elizaveta from their conversation. “Okay, what did you do now?” Clarissa asked Pilar, sounding like a long-suffering mother even though she was several years younger than the other girl. “Are you prying into Yume’s private business again?” “Hey, it’s not private when they’re talking about it in a public place where anybody can overhear,” Pilar said, using her own particular brand of logic. “Talking about what?” Elizaveta asked. Yume slapped a hand over Pilar’s mouth before she could say anymore, discreetly slipping the condoms into her pocket with the other. “Nothing, nothing!” Not wanting to stick around and be badgered by more questions, she stood up and stuffed her skates in her skate bag. “Anyway, I need to get going.” “Oh, wait, before you leave, Sergei wanted me to ask you if you would meet with him for a few minutes after practice,” Pilar said. “Alone, if possible.” “Sergei? Why?” Yume asked, dumbfounded. She liked Pilar’s partner well enough, but they rarely spoke to each other outside of practice. Pilar shrugged, apparently not as interested in what Sergei did off the ice as she was Yume‘s love life. “Who knows? I’m just the messenger. He said he would be waiting for you out front.” Yume frowned, spotting Ekaterina chatting at the boards with her brother and Dmitri. She’d hope to have a chance to speak to Ekaterina before she and Mikhail had to leave for their Lovers’ Maneuver training, but she didn’t want to interrupt. “Well, I guess I can spare a couple of minutes,” she decided, swinging the bag over her shoulder. “I’ll go see what he wants. See you later.” “Later! And have fun tonight!” Yume just sighed and shook her head in defeat. Wondering what possible reason Sergei had for wanting to talk to her alone, she headed outside, where she found him waiting for her, just as Pilar said. He waved when he spotted her, walking over to join her. “Ah, Yume! I’m glad you made it.” “Hi, Sergei. Pilar said you needed to talk to me?” “Uh, yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Yume sensed he was nervous about something, his eyes shifting over the vicinity as if to make certain nobody else was around. “Why don’t we sit down over there?” he suggested, pointing to a nearby bench. “Okay…” He was behaving rather strangely, deepening Yume’s curiosity. “By the way, thank you for taking Katia out last night. It was a big help,” she said as they took a seat on the bench. “No problem. She’s a nice girl. We had a good time. Oh, and congratulations! I heard you have a new nephew.” Yume grinned. “Yeah, he was born this morning. He’s incredible. Do you want to see some pictures? I have some on my phone. Let me just find them…” She started digging in her bag for her cell, but Sergei raised a hand, signaling her to stop. “Maybe some other time. I don’t want to keep you too long.” “Oh, right.” Forgoing any more small talk, she decided to get straight to the point. “So what did you want to see me about?” Sergei, however, remained silent, looking down at his watch. Again, he seemed apprehensive, and Yume wondered if perhaps he was waiting for something -- or someone -- to appear. She touched his shoulder. “Sergei? Is something wrong?” The gesture appeared to startle him, jolting him back to attention. “Oh, n-no. I‘m fine,” Sergei said, taking in a deep breath. “It’s just that I’ ve never done anything like this before. I’m not sure how to say it…” “What? Just tell me what’s going on. Why are you so jumpy?” Without warning, he reached for her hand and blurted out, “Yume, I like you!” “Eh?” Blindsided, Yume could do nothing but stare at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head. Out of all the things she might have imagined Sergei saying to her, that was literally the last thing on the list. “You…like me?” she sputtered after she managed to find her voice again. “Like, romantically?” “Yes!” “B-But you’re gay. You like men, right?” “Sexuality is fluid,” he said with a shrug. “I am usually attracted to guys, but ever since we danced together the night of Clarissa’s birthday, I can’t seem to stop thinking about you.” He brought his hand to caress her cheek. “You’re so beautiful, Yume…” Still confused, Yume gently brushed his hand away. “Um, I’m very flattered, Sergei, but I’m dating Misha. You know what.” “But do you love him?” “Love?” Her cheeks warmed, remembering how Hana had asked the same question the previous night. Unfortunately, she was still unsure as to how to answer it. “T-That’s really none of your business!” she replied instead, abruptly standing up. “Wait.” He rose from the bench as well and reached for her elbow, stopping her when she began to leave. “I’m sorry. I’m putting you on the spot.” Yume let out a sigh and turned back around to face him. “I’m sorry, too. I’m sure this must be very confusing for you.” “More than you can imagine. So how about a test?” “Test?” “To see if I’m actually attracted to you.” “How would you determine that?” “Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m going to suggest we sleep together,” Sergei said, much to Yume’s relief. “A kiss should be enough to tell.” That was almost as bad! “A k-kiss?” “I’ve never actually kissed a girl before, come to think of it.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “Maybe I’m bi and just didn’t realize it until now.” “Then why don’t you ask Pilar? She probably wouldn’t mind,” Yume suggested. “Pilar is like a sister to me. It wouldn’t work. I just can’t think of her like that.” Sergei placed his hands on her arms. “Please, Yume, it’s just one kiss. I need to know the truth.” “I’d like to help you, but…” “Misha never has to know,” he promised. “Please.” Yume bit down on her bottom lip. Even if they kept it a secret from Mikhail, kissing another man would still a betrayal, no matter how good the intentions. But if it would help Sergei… He leaned forward in preparation to kiss her, but a few inches away from her lips, Yume turned her face to the side, unable to go through with it, and Sergei’s body was suddenly jerked backwards so hard that he fell to the ground. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, you bastard!” Yume gasped. “Misha!” She had never seen Mikhail so angry before, his icy blue eyes practically ablaze. Even Ekaterina, who had exited the building with him, seemed shocked to see her brother so enraged. “T-This isn’t what it looks like!” Sergei protested as he got back to feet. Mikhail yelled something in Russian and seized the front of Sergei’s T -shirt. “No, don’t!” Ekaterina pleaded, grabbing Mikhail‘s arm. “He’s telling the truth. I put him up to this. It’s not Seryozha’s fault.” “Katia?” Mikhail kept his grip on Sergei’s shirt as he turned his attention to his sister. “Explain.” “I-I asked Seryozha to pretend to have a crush on Yume and try to kiss her.” “What?” Yume said in surprise at the same time Mikhail asked, “Why?” Ekaterina flinched at the harshness in his voice and clenched her hands so tightly at her side that her knuckles turned white. “I was testing her,” she admitted after a long pause, her voice slightly cracking as she attempted to hold back tears. “I was afraid she would break your heart like Tatiana, so I wanted to see if she was trustworthy enough to be your girlfriend.” “And you went along with this ridiculous scheme?” Mikhail asked Sergei. “I thought we were friends.” “I’m sorry, Misha,” Sergei said, clearly ashamed of his behavior. “Katia promised to get me an autographed photo of a dancer I admire. I didn’t think it would any real harm. You know I’m not attracted to Yume. It would be like kissing a sister to me.” “That doesn’t matter.” Finally, he released his hold on Sergei’s shirt and shoved him toward Yume, whose head was still spinning from all the revelations. “Apologize to her, too.” “I’m so sorry, Yume. I shouldn’t have tricked you like that.” “I’m sor—“ Ekaterina began as well, but Mikhail cut her off, throwing his arm out in front of her. “When we get back, I want you out of my room, Ekaterina.” “What?” She was now crying in earnest, her mascara running down her cheeks. “Misha, I know you’re upset, but you can’t just throw me out. Where else am I supposed to go?” “Find a hotel. Or better yet, just go back home. I can’t deal with you right now.” Mikhail reached for Yume’s wrist, turning them to leave. “Come on, Yume. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late for training.” Yume took one final look back at Ekaterina, who had begun sobbing into Sergei’s shoulder, before quietly following after Mikhail. ***** The walk back to the dorms after their Lovers’ Maneuver training was awkward and silent, just as it had been on their way to the skating center. Mikhail had said less than ten words to Yume since they left Sergei and Ekaterina behind at Kaleido Stage. Though she made a few pathetic attempts at conversation, none of them worked, and she eventually gave up, deciding he would start talking when he felt like it. It wasn‘t until they reached the dorm building that he finally spoke. “Do you want to come up to my room?” he asked, surprising her. “She should be gone by now.” There was no need for him to clarify who “she” was. Yume frowned, remembering how upset Ekaterina had been when they left. “Was it really okay for you to tell her to leave?” “She’s an adult. She’ll be fine.” “No, that’s not what I really mea—Never mind.” Why was she worrying about Ekaterina anyway, after the horrible stunt she and Sergei had pulled? Besides, with her gone, they could finally have some uninterrupted alone time. Taking Mikhail’s hand, she said, “Let’s go.” Mikhail led Yume up to his dorm room. As expected, Ekaterina wasn’t there, although she had left a note pinned to the front of the door. Yume couldn’t understand it, as it was written in Russian, but Mikhail yanked it down after giving it a read-through and crumpled it into a ball, which he then threw on the ground like a piece of trash. “What did it say?” “Nothing important. Just forget about it,” he said, showing her inside. As soon as the door closed behind them, Mikhail began kissing her. Of course, she had known from the start what he had in mind when he invited her up to his dorm, but it still caught Yume off-guard. While his kisses were usually gentle and passionate, this time it felt like he was trying to suck the lips right off her face. “Misha, wait…” she protested, removing his hands from the hem of her T -shirt, which he had been about to pull over her head. “Stop.” "What's wrong?" he asked gruffly. "This is the reason you're here, right?" "Yes, but this doesn't feel right. I think you're still upset about what happened earlier." "I'm fine." "No, you're not." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing loudly. "Can't we just forget about what happened for a few hours?" he asked, lifting her chin. "There are other, more pleasurable, things we could be doing right now." Yume shoved him away from her, not liking the way he was acting. "I'm not going to let you treat me as a distraction, Misha," she said. "I deserve better for my first time." His eyes widened. "You're right. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." Mikhail sat down in an armchair, holding his head in his hands. "I wonder where she went..." he muttered under his breath. Glancing around the room, Yume spotted his cell phone laying on the coffee table. She picked it up and held it out to him. "Call her," she said, knowing he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew his sister was okay. Mikhail stared at the phone for a few seconds, hesitating, before finally taking the cell from Yume and dialing Ekaterina's number. He let it ring for well over a minute to no avail. "She's not answering," he said, ending the call and setting the phone aside. "Maybe Sergei knows where she went," Yume suggested, but Mikhail balked at the idea of asking for his help. "I'm never talking to him again," he said, reminding Yume very much of a little kid. Had the situation not been so serious, she might have laughed. "Misha..." Kneeling down in front of him, she reached for his hands. "I know you're mad at him, and you have every right to be, but you know he never would have done something like that if Ekaterina hadn’t asked him. Sergei is one of your best friends." "No, he’s not. Not anymore. He betrayed me. Everyone I care about betrays me.” He looked up, pulling his hands out of her grip. “Even you.” “What are you talking about, Misha? I ne-- “What would have happened if Katia and I hadn’t shown up when we did?” Mikhail asked, cutting her off. “It didn’t look like you were doing much to discourage him. Did you actually want him to kiss you?” “No, of course not! I --” Yume paused, biting down on her bottom lip. True, she hadn’t wanted to kiss Sergei, but she had considered it. “He said he was confused about his sexuality,” she admitted, deciding it was best to just tell the truth. “He thought kissing me would help clear up the confusion. I didn’t want to do it, but I wanted to help him, so… But I changed my mind at the last moment! Please, believe me. The only man I want to kiss is you, Misha.” To prove it, Yume brought her lips to his, but Mikhail remained frozen and unresponsive, a mask falling over his face. “Misha, please, say something,” she begged, kissing him again. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t --” “It’s okay. You don‘t have to apologize,” Mikhail finally said, his voice soft and barely audible. “I understand.” “You do?” “Yeah.” Removing his hands from her grasp, he stood up and stretched his arms over his head. “I’m kind of tired from practice. I think I’ll take a nap before dinner.” “Oh, okay.” She rose to her feet as well, getting the hint. He needed time to process everything that had happened. “I wanted to stop by the hospital to see Sora and Ren, anyway. I’ll see you then, I guess.” ***** But Mikhail never showed up for dinner. After getting her tray, Yume looked around the cafeteria for any sign of him, but he was nowhere in sight. She sighed and was about to join her friends at their usual table when Sergei intercepted her. “Yume, I just want to say again how sorry I am for the way I acted earlier,” he said. “I never should have agreed to do it.” Her eyes narrowed. Despite what she told Mikhail earlier, she wasn‘t quite ready to forgive Sergei either. “No, you shouldn’t have. Misha is furious with you.” “I don’t blame him. Are you meeting him for dinner? I’d like to talk to him, too.” “I don’t know where Misha is,” Yume said, her shoulders slumping. “We… kind of had a fight this afternoon.” “Because of what I did?” He slapped his forehead. “Oh, man, I’ve really screwed things up.” “But isn’t this what Ekaterina wanted to happen? It seems to me like your plan went perfectly,” she said in a bitter tone. “I don’t think she knew what she wanted, to be honest.” “Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s still her fault that all this happened.” She conveniently forgot the main reason why Mikhail was so upset, that she had almost kissed another man. It was easier just to put all the blame on Ekaterina. “About Katia…” Sergei began hesitantly. “What about her?” “Um, she told me not to say anything, but she’s staying at the Hamilton Hotel overnight. Suite 315,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s planning to fly back to Russia tomorrow afternoon. It was the earliest flight she could get on such short notice. I just thought Misha should know, so if you do get the chance to talk to him…” “I’ll give him the info,” Yume said, her voice clipped as she brushed past Sergei and took a seat at the table with the rest of her friends. “Oh, hey, Yume,” Pilar said. “When did you and Sergei get so buddy- buddy? You met with him earlier today, too, didn’t you? I didn’t realize you two were close.” “We’re not,” she said, stabbing her baked chicken with a fork. “We’re definitely not friends.” The other girls exchanged shocked glances, unaccustomed to seeing Yume angry. “Did…something happen?” Clarissa asked, concerned. Yume sighed. “No, nothing,” she lied. Opening day was only a couple weeks away. She didn’t want to cause any ripples amongst the cast. “Are you sure?” “Just having a bad day, I guess. That’s all.” “Oh, I get it,” Pilar said in a rather smug tone that irritated Yume even more. “Somebody’s annoyed that her boyfriend keeps spending time with his little sister rather than paying attention to her. What, did your ‘special’ plans for tonight get cancelled?” “Pilar, that’s not i--” “How are Sora and the baby, by the way?” Becca interrupted. “Did you go to see him again?” Yume gratefully took advantage of the change in conversation, pulling out her cell phone to show her friends all the photos she had taken of her new little nephew when she had visited Sora that afternoon. Ren’s birth had been the only bright spot to an otherwise crappy day. The girls “ooh-ed” and “ahh- ed” over the pictures, after which a positively-giddy Clarissa revealed that Jason had finally asked her on an official date, having given up on his hopeless crush on Zoe. Though Yume put on a happy face and congratulated her along with the rest of the group, inwardly, she was jealous to see Clarissa so happy and in love when her own relationship seemed on the brink of collapse. She immediately berated herself for having such petty thoughts, but she couldn’t help the way she felt. As the conversation turned to where they were going -- Marine Park -- and what Clarissa planned to wear, Yume began shoveling food into her mouth without really tasting it just so that she would have an excuse not to say anything and possibly betray her less-than-enthusiastic feelings about her friend’s new romance. She finished dinner in record time and quietly excused herself from the group, although she doubted any of them even realized she had left. She started to go back to her dorm, but not wanting to deal with Fool and his inevitable questions at the moment, she headed down to the beach instead. The sun had recently dipped below the horizon, the last rays of sunlight coloring the cloudless sky in various shades of orange and red that faded into pale blue. The ocean waters were mostly calm, the surface disturbed only by the occasional small wave, and in the distance, she saw a yacht pulling into port for the night. So caught up in the beauty of the sunset, she didn’t even realize that she wasn’t alone until she heard someone softly say her name. “Yume.” Startled, she wiped away a tear that had rolled down her cheek without her noticing and turned toward the direction of the voice. “Oh, Misha…” She was such an idiot. How could she have forgotten that Mikhail liked to come to the beach after dinner to bask in the twilight that reminded him of home? The two of them stared at each other for several moments, neither knowing what to say, until Mikhail abruptly turned back around, intending to leave. “I know where Ekaterina is staying tonight,” Yume blurted out, not wanting him to go just yet. He whipped back around. “Where is she?” “The Hamilton Hotel. She’s in Suite 315.” There was a visible look of relief on his face upon hearing the news. He murmured something in Russian that Yume could not understand, then pulled out his cell phone, using it to find the hotel’s phone number and place a call to Ekaterina’s room. However, he hung up almost as soon as Ekaterina answered, not even bothering to say hello. “You’re not going to answer that?” Yume asked when his ringtone went off a few seconds later. She had a feeling it was Ekaterina, calling him back. Mikhail shook his head and slid his phone back into his pocket after sending the call to voicemail. “I only wanted to know that she was safe,” he said. “That’s enough for now.” “Sergei said she’s planning to fly back home tomorrow.” She immediately regretted mentioning Sergei’s name, noting how Mikhail’s hand curled into a fist at his side. “I see… So he‘s the one who gave you the information.” “No, it’s wasn’t like that,” she said, stepping forward. “He wanted to tell you about Ekaterina himself, but you didn’t come to dinner, so he asked me to tell you instead. It‘s not like we‘re still friends or anything, though.” Sighing, his hand relaxed. “You don’t have to stop being his friend on my account,” he said. “I know nothing would ever really happen between you two. I know that logically. In my head, I know that, but in my heart…” “You still feel like I betrayed you,” she completed for him. “I’m sorry.” Mikhail turned his gaze toward the ocean, as if he couldn’t even bear to look at Yume, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “This isn’t fair to you. It wasn’t your fault, but I don’t know if I can trust you anymore.” “Does this mean you want to break up?” she asked, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. He shook his head. “I don’t know.” “What about the show? What about the Lovers’ Manuever?” “I don’t know,” he repeated, still refusing to look at her. “Misha, I…” Yume wished there was something she could say that could make things right again, but no such magical words came to her. Instead, without saying good-bye, she pivoted around and sprinted back to her dorm. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Tonight was supposed to be special, the night that they finally became lovers in every meaning of the word. How could everything go downhill so fast? “Fool! Fool, where are you?” she called out as soon as the door closed behind her. Even if it was just a bunch of hocus-pocus…even if it was just a lie, she needed him to read her fortune and tell her that everything was going to be okay. “Fool?” No one answered her. A sinking feeling developed in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn’t right. She headed to her bedroom, hoping that she was just being paranoid and that Fool was in hiding somewhere, hoping to sneak a peek of her naked. It wouldn‘t be the first time. “Fool? Hey, this isn‘t funny. Come out right now, Fool! Please!” Again, no sign of him. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Knowing the surefire way to make Fool to appear, Yume stripped off her clothes and stood in the center of the room, garbed only a sports bra and panties. “I’m going to take a shower,” she said in a loud, exaggerated voice. “If you want to see something special, you better show yourself. Fool?” But he never appeared. She had lost the ability to see the Spirit of the Stage. The realization hitting her, Yume slumped down on the floor, feeling as if all the energy had been sucked out of her at once. It was bad enough that Mikhail had lost his trust in her, but at least if Fool was still around, she could believe that they would eventually work through their problems and perform the Lovers’ Maneuver as planned. If she could no longer see him, though… She brought her knees to her chest and began to cry, never feeling more alone in her life. DISCLAIMER: Kaleido Star doesn't belong to me. AUTHOR’S NOTES: So sorry that it has taken so long to get this chapter posted. This chapter was very tough to write, for numerous reasons, some which should be pretty obvious. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out either -- I haven't even started it yet! -- but I will finish the story eventually, so don't worry that I've abandoned it if it takes awhile. I'm hoping to wrap things up in thirty chapters, so we're close to the end! If you’re wondering why I chose the name Ren for Ken and Sora’s son, Ken’s father’s name is Ben, so it just seemed like the most logical choice.