We're All Stars Now

Akiko was frowning like a small child that was told she couldn't go into a candy store, but it appeared to be mostly superficial. Brushing off the dust, expelling an obligatory sneeze, Benjiro opened his makeup kit. The various blushes, concealers, eyeliners and the like, looked as if they were practically crying out to finally be put to good use.

"I never did ask, but why did you ask me to be the one to model for you?" she asked.

Not even looking up from the case, "W-Well, I f-figured since I w-was doing s-something for you, y-you could do someth-thing for me. And, y-your skin is a s-similar sh-shade as Fujib-bayashi. S-So, win-win."

She simply responded, "Oh.", in what sounded to Benjiro like a disappointed tone, which confused him but brushed off. Sitting silently for a minute, he recalled the notes he had jotted down for the two Frankenstein's and their respective understudies. Thinking back, he found it odd that he hadn't seen Akiko backstage sooner. Brushing it off as another unimportant event, he selected a few varying shades of pale greys and beiges. Today would be going for the simple dead body look. Considering what story he was drawing inspiration from, although he felt it kind of defeated the purpose, he'd have to try some green foundation as well, but that would be another day.

"You'd better not make me look too ugly or scary", she warned.

His face gave an annoyed twitch, "Don't w-worry, I w-won't", he reassured.

'You're already doing half the work on that front', he chuckled to himself.

Like a painter preparing to give life to a canvas, he dabbed his blending sponge into the pale foundation. He hesitated to touch her face, but she just said, "If you're going to do this just get it on already." With the potential threat defused, he began dabbing her cheeks and forehead. For a few minutes, he kept his hands as steady as he could, but still felt a little jittery. It wasn't the first time he had been in a girl's room, but the last time was when he was only about six or seven. More than a few impossible scenarios, similar to the ones he would have about Hiromi popped into his head, but he quickly forced them back into his subconscious.

Concentrating simply on the task at hand, and trying not to look into those big round eyes, 'Stop! Don't finish that thought, me. Bad things will happen if you do', he silently reprimanded. Shaking his head in a frustrated manner for a moment, he knew he needed something to distract his mind, so he did the same thing he usually did. He scrolled through his favorite songs for a minute, unsure of whether it was a good or bad thing with how long it had become over the years. After considering the context, one thing seemed appropriate.

The familiar demonic tune came through Manson's raspy voice helping Benjiro concentrate on his task. "But all the pretty, pretty ones will leave you low, blow your mind," he sang, voice grave. The young man still couldn't manage some of the vocals without coughing, but he appreciated the oddity of his music all the same. Akiko wasn't sure why but hearing Benjiro sing made her feel uneasy. It was like he knew some intimate secret about her. Something that she desperately tried to wash way like a murderer scrubbing the blood from their house, but the mop-headed shined a black light revealing every detail.

As he continued spreading the foundation, making Akiko's face more pale, and monstrous, he found it easier to concentrate. His hands lost the urge to fidget, and he became absorbed in the process. The more makeup that was applied, the greater the urge to scratch her nose became. But, much like getting a haircut, she realized that remaining still was important.

Akiko not being oblivious to this, noticed his face go from nervous and twitchy to a mask of near perfect concentration. The difference was night and day. Gone was the stuttering nervous mess that she usually witnessed and enter a calm, collected artist who couldn't be bothered to do anything other than bring the design he saw in his head, to the real world.

Frankly, the dichotomy of what she saw made her a little nervous. After twenty minutes and a few different shades of makeup later, Benjiro considered his first design of a dead body finished. Some parts of her face looked pale from lack of bloodflow, others were grey from decay, and her lips cyan blue. With a satisfied smile, he thought he didn't do too badly for his first go around. And considering who his willing assistant was, he was surprised that he even had a partner.

"So, are you getting close."

Still grinning, he nodded and held up a handheld mirror to her face. Akiko instinctively moved her head backwards when she saw what was staring back at her. She blinked a few times just to be certain that it was real. Turning her head this way and that, she let out a low whistle, "OK, I'm honestly a little impressed. I knew you were good, but for someone our age, this is unbelievable", she said while making a few different expressions, "I could probably walk onto the set of a horror movie and nobody would question if I should be there."

Still unused to being praised so highly, Benjiro tried covering the smile that stretched all the way across his face. Scoffing in a joking way, "Just take the compliment, will ya?"

There was a small pause, before the two of them began breaking into small fits of laughter. After getting the giggles out of their system, they both took a few breaths and collected themselves. Wiping his eyes, "OK, th-that was the f-first l-look. I h-have a f-few others but we c-can try those another d-day."

Taking a final look in the mirror, "If you keep making faces like this one, President Saito may just get down on one knee and ask you to marry him."

That prediction earned a good laugh from Benjiro, "Well, if th-that happens y-you'll have to h-help me explain th-that I don't b-bat for the away team."

"Can I wash this off now?"

He held up one finger, "N-Not yet. Pictures f-first."

Benjiro reached into his pocket to take out his phone but the makeup on his hands made his grip slippery and it shot from his fingers. Trying to catch he leaned forward with his hand out to catch it. Instead of catching the phone, he ended up pressing his hand into something much softer than he had anticipated. He tried retracting his hand but he had already grabbed somewhere he shouldn't have. Screeching loudly, Akiko quickly drew back her arm and punched Benjiro in the arm. He grunted loudly, flopping on the matress as the pain throbbed in his arm.

"S-Sorry", he breathed in between spasms.

Akiko covered her chest with one hand while pointing with the other, "You d*ck! Watch where you're putting your hands."

Benjiro's mouth began twitching as his eyes threatened to tear up, "I'm s-sorry."

Akiko's calmed down as quickly as her outburst came. Her eyes changed from angry to concerned as she looked at how hurt the boy looked. Sighing, "It's alright, I'm not mad. I was just surprised that you touched me so suddenly", she explained, slowly lowering her arm, "You can't just do that and expect people not to get mad. I'll let you off the hook for now, but keep that in mind."

There was a knock on the bedroom door and Mr. Higaki's voice could be heard, "Akiko?! Is everything alright in there?"

The petite girl sprang from the mattress, "Yeah, Dad. Everything's fine, we-"

The door opened before she could finish her sentence. The older man, upon seeing his daughter's face looking like a ghost let out a surprised shout which made Akiko scream a little as well. After taking a moment to collect themselves, Mr. Higaki noticed Benjiro, "Oh, Nojiri, I didn't know you were up here", pointing at his daughter, "Did you do that?"

Simply nodding, Shoma looked as if he wasn't sure whether to be frightened or impressed.

"Um, I just came to see what the noise was, but I wasn't expecting to see a boy in your room, Akiko."

Trying her best not to look incriminating, "Well, as you can see, we're just up here making ourselves look scary."

When Shoma still looked a little confused, Akiko explained that it was for the play. Satisfied with at least one explanation, "Well, as long as that's the only thing, I'd still like you to either keep the door open while you're doing your thing or do it somewhere more open."

"DAD!", Akiko yelled, red in the face.

Stepping out of the room with a grin, "That's all I came to say. Just be sure to finish up soon, you still have school in the morning."

When her Dad left the room, she let out a frustrated sigh, "I swear he does stuff like that on purpose." Looking back at Benjiro, she noticed that he was still holding his one arm, "Are you feeling alright?? I didn't hit you that hard, did I?"

Benjiro just shook his head without looking her in the eye. Picking his phone up he told her to smile and quickly snapped a photo, 'OK, that's the first look down. Just a few more to go and then we wait.'

He tried walking out the door with his supplies in tow, but Akiko stopped him, "Wait, what's going on with your arm?"

Turning back, "It's g-getting late. I'll t-tell you in the tom-morrow. Y-You should t-take a shower b-before the m-makeup clogs your p-pores."

'In the tomorrow?', Akiko wondered

Akiko figured, to make sure nobody thought there was anything suspicious, that she should at least walk with him to the door. When they got downstairs, the boys screamed too loudly to be taken seriously as their sister passed by. Ignoring them, they went to the foyer where details about the next day were hammered out. As she watched the lanky boy go back into his house, she noticed his Dad's car wasn't there.

'He's alone again tonight', she thought concerned, 'Wait, why am I worried about him? Why should I care about him?'

Back upstairs, as she watched the makeup run down her face, which she thought was creepier than before, another feeling of uneasiness came over her. It was the same feeling as when she went inside Benjiro's house, the feeling there was something very wrong. Recalling the words he sang while applying the makeup, made her shiver.

'I wonder if he's as oblivious to things as he lets on.'