• Story 7: The Gallery Opening
    The month was long and hard, and everyone was getting more and more excited about the gallery opening the close the end of the month came. Maddie was excited about her paintings getting their own gallery. Jiro was nervous about having to go to the opening and the after party, but he wanted to be there to support Maddie. Kataro was excited about his first big party. Then Mimiko was excited about being invited to an upper-class event. People were working around the clock to make sure that this was a great event. The night of the opening finally came. Maddie had ordered clothes for Jiro and Kataro. They were both wearing simple Black tuxes with black bow ties. They had no idea what Maddie or Mimiko was wearing. They were waiting in the kitchen when Mimiko announced that they were coming down after hours of grooming. Mimiko came down first. She was wearing a long brown dress that seemed to fade from a lighter shade to a darker shade as it went up. She had a matching shawl and her hair was pushed back and batted up behind a headband. “You look great Mimi,” Kataro jumped in first.
    “Yea you look great Mimiko,” Jiro put in.
    “Thanks guys.” Mimiko stepped down and then Maddie started to descend the stairs. Then Jiro’s heart stopped. Maddie was wearing the white dress she wore the day they met and her hair was pulled back into a bun with little bits of hair in the front hanging down to frame her face. Jiro couldn’t quite tell but it seemed like her face was sparkling. She looked beautiful.
    “Wow” was all Jiro could say.
    “Thanks you look pretty wow yourself. Wait a minute there’s something missing about your look Jiro… Oh I know.” Maddie took a hair band and started to pull Jiro’s hair back into a ponytail.
    “I haven’t worn my hair like this in ages,” Jiro said.
    “Well you should wear it like this more often. You look dashing,” Maddie said.
    “Really?”
    “Really.” Jiro looked at Maddie and smiled. Maddie looked away because she was blushing. That was the first time Jiro had ever seen Maddie blush. Mimiko had been helping Kataro with his bowtie so they didn’t catch any of this.
    “Alright let’s get going,” Maddie said. They had decided to take Maddie’s white limo for this occasion. They all got in the limo and were on their way to the gallery. The Gallery Opening itself was supposed to be the social event of the season for the upper class. No one who was anyone was going to miss it. Mimiko and Kataro were going to be hanging out together the whole time while Maddie was talking to people and answering questions for the press with Jiro at her side. The only time Jiro and Maddie had together without anyone else talking to them was when they found a corner of the gallery that wasn’t too crowded. Jiro started to look at all of the artwork and was astounded. He had never realized that Maddie was such a good artist. Each piece had an emotion to it that just leaped off of the canvas. Then one caught Jiro’s eye. It was a splash of all kinds of colors with circles on it. It was the painting that he and Kataro had helped her with. He was shocked to see it in the gallery. Maddie saw the shock on his face. “Do you not like it?” she asked.
    “No I like it. It’s just that I didn’t expect to see it here.”
    “You know out of all the paintings I showed the directors that one was their favorite. They absolutely loved it Jiro. Well I always do work best when my actual emotions are put into them. I really was having fun that day and the painting shows that. Our friendship helped me create one of the best pieces that I’ve ever done Jiro. Thank you.” Jiro didn’t know what to say to that, but lucky for him he didn’t have to.
    “Hey there Maddie,” Zelman Clock interrupted them.
    “Hey Zelman long time no see.” Maddie went and gave Zelman a hug. Jiro stood there in shock that Maddie and Zelman actually knew each other, and not only that but they were very close. “So Zelman how had the world been treating you?”
    “Well I’ve been much more entertained ever since the silver blade arrived.” Zelman looked right at Jiro and Maddie looked back at him with no trace of surprise on her face.
    “Yes I would expect so; one hears many rumors when they have the hearing that I do.”
    “Yes you really do have sharp ears.” They laughed as if enjoying an inside joke. It was one weird thing after the other and Jiro couldn’t take it.
    “Could someone explain to me what’s going on here?” Jiro asked.
    “Oh right. Jiro you know Zelman Clock right? Well we’re very old friends. I’ve known him for years now.”
    “Does that bother you Jiro?” Zelman asked.
    “No,” Jiro said, “I was just surprised that you two knew each other. That’s all.”
    “So Zelman are you coming to the after party?” Maddie asked.
    “No I really don’t want to extend this torture. I’d say just let me know whenever you need anything, but you’re a big girl and I know you can take care of yourself. So I’ll just be off.”
    “All right I’ll see you later Zelman.” Jiro still couldn’t believe that Maddie and Zelman were on such close terms, but he tried not to let it bother him. Eventually the Gallery opening did end and many people made their way to Maddie’s for the after party.
    Story 8: Will Love Bloom?
    Maddie, Jiro, and Kataro were all really excited to see how the yard turned out. They got out of the limo and began the walk to the center patio. None of the lights in the trees were lit on this path so that the guests could be stunned by the beauty of the patio. The four companions were walking down the path and when they reached the patio they all froze in awe. Everything was just as Maddie had described only better. There was a string quartet playing a waltz in one corner and everyone was dancing. Everything you could see seemed to be happy. The light reflected off of the water in the fountain in just a way that everything around it began to sparkle. Maddie’s face just lit up when she saw it. Her face was so bright the rest of the yard paled in comparison.
    “Would you like to dance?” Jiro asked Maddie. Maddie looked over at him and smiled as she nodded. Her smile made Jiro’s heart stop and he had to take a couple deep breaths just get himself to take her hand and lead her to the dance floor. Maddie put her had on his shoulder, Jiro put his hand on her waist, and they began to waltz. Jiro was surprised at how well Maddie was doing. Not only did she know how to waltz, but she made every movement very graceful and elegant. Jiro felt like the luckiest man on the planet at that moment. Dancing with her, holding her close, seeing her smile, Jiro didn’t want it to end. The song ended and Maddie led Jiro off to a side path so that they could talk privately. They reached the end of the path and they both stopped. Maddie was a few steps in front of Jiro. They were both looking up at the sky. There was a full moon in the sky.
    Maddie started Mumbling to herself, “Mochizuki, Mochizuki, Mochizuki, Mochizuki” in all the different ways you could pronounce it besides the correct way.
    “It’s Jiro Mochizuki,” Jiro corrected her. “Why don’t you just call me Jiro? You have for the past few weeks.”
    “No way,” Maddie replied. “I want to be able to call you by your full name. Jiro Muchidizuki, Jiro Muti...Uggh”
    “It’s Jiro Mochizuki.”
    “So what exactly does Motisaki mean anyway?”
    “Mochizuki.”
    “Don’t be so mean.”
    Jiro laughed. He looked up at the Moon and said, “Look.” He was starting to get a déjà vus feeling.
    “The full moon? The full moon! So your name must mean full moon. Am I right? Jiro Muchised, Jiro Muchitizuki, Muchitied, Muchisuke, Muchizuki, Muchizuki.” She finally got his last name right and Jiro finally remembered where this had happened before. He also realized where he had these feelings before. “Jiro can I ask you another question?”
    “Alright.”
    “How you felt about me?”
    “About you?” Maddie turned around to look Jiro in the eye.
    “Yes about me. You see I’ve just been very confused lately because the signs are there, but you just don’t seem to really feel that way, or you’re just taking your time, or you just don’t know how to proceed, but being a 100 year old vampire I thought that you would know how to proceed, so that’s why I’m confused and now I’m rambling great I was hoping I wouldn’t end up rambling because I’m just so nervous about asking you this because I wasn’t sure if I was being too forward…” Jiro kissed her. They both just stood there for a long time holding each other and enjoying the perfect kiss. After what seemed like a century they broke apart. Maddie started to sway like she was going to pass out, so Jiro picked her up and sat down on the nearest bench with her in his lap. Maddie looked up into Jiro’s face.
    “Jiro is it ok if I call you my full moon?” Jiro smiled.
    “Alright, as long as you agree to me calling you my White Rose.” That sentence seemed to snap Maddie out of a trance. She stood up so fast it sent Jiro falling off of the back of the bench.
    “This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen. I’m supposed to tell you everything before either of us feel this strongly. It’s supposed to go a certain way it happened the same way the first 4 times why is it different now?”
    “Maddie what are you talking about?”
    “Jiro I can’t do this right now I need to be alone for awhile.” Just like that Maddie walked off. Jiro didn’t know what was going on, but he was sure about how he felt about Maddie. He wasn’t going to let her just get away. He tried to follow her, but she was too fast. He looked for her in her room, but she wasn’t there. He started to look all over the house but she wasn’t anywhere to be found. Jiro didn’t know what he would do if he didn’t find her.