A reason to move forward

“ Aw! Who’s this adorable little girl?”Mio ran up to us and sprang toward the girl. Mio wrapped her in a tight hug. “ Hm let me guess you’re twelve. Am I right?” The girl pushes Mio away.

“ Right I’m twelve so let go of me!” She screams at Mio before taking a few steps back so Mio can’t spring back on her.” Anyway, I'm Taylor Brown and my mom is the famous Selena Brown.” She started to laugh smugly, almost expecting us to bow down to her. Mio started coughing a little. “ Hey girl I need help finding my mom, that's what these two were about to do...Well what I mean is um are you in well are you going to help me?” Taylor swallowed her pride to ask Mio for help.

“ Yeah I’ll gladly help you find your mom and my name is Mio. I'm not just some random girl.” Mio reached out to hug Taylor again. A loud car horn blared from outside and my phone started to shake my bag. I pulled it out of the front pocket and it was a call from the director. Before I can answer, the hotel's sliding door opens.

“ Ken, come on daddy’s waiting for you guys…” She seemed to notice Taylor and freezes up. “ What are you doing here you little brat shouldn’t you be on the set with your mom.” Ai screamed at her.” Go back to the set… Oh I'm sorry that was unseemly of me.” Ai tries to laugh her outburst off. “ Anyway the manager is furious we need to leave right now poor Emi has to be getting verbally abused right now.” Ai grabbed our bags and threw them in the car. I wonder what happened to her, maybe Emi gave her trauma.” Come on, we don't have all day!” Ai opened the door of the car for us. We climbed into the back of the car while Taylor buckled her seatbelt in the front.

“ Um, Ai, did you hit your head since I met you at that first photo shoot you’re well very different.”

“ Oh Ken how silly my parents lectured me for hours but that wasn’t it they also told Emi to treat me like I treated her it's scary how much can happen in less than a day.” Ai slumped over and sighed.

“ Well yeah but for this much change you must have treated Emi horribly if that changed you so much…” I’m kinda happy to see how she’s changed. It's for the better… but it’s a little bit funny thinking of the tyrant princess Ai being treated horribly. “ …Ha….” I try to hold in my laughter but a chuckle slips out.

“ Did you dare laugh at me? I may have gotten scolded but I’m still a better model than you Ken.” Wait Ken, she always called me things like ‘Puppy’ or ‘Dog’ sometimes even ‘ Trash’ “ Are you happy you’re not stuck with a nickname anymore, or do you want another.” Ai laughed. “ I’m through being such a bitch… I’ll be someone my fans can look up to, maybe I should join the baptist church.”

“ How’d you come up with that idea? I think joining a church is good but I guess I don’t get the thought process.”

“ Yeah I know but Emi kinda forced me to learn about christianity she said the teachings were inspiring and while it might not inspire everyone I feel it really changed me.” Ai chuckled a little but also looked embarrassed. “ Hey, say something um, I want you guys to come. I want my friends and family to watch this sunday… I’m getting baptized!”

“ Wow that’s so cool devoting yourself to a religion I’ll join you.” Mio Hugged Ai tightly.

“ Oh then I’ll come too. I hear religion is good for your heart and mental fortitude.” Akane smiled widely. They all looked over at me with probing eyes.

“ Well I’ll come too. I make it a policy to support my friends!” I guess I didn’t realize at the time what I'd just signed up for.

“ Me too! I want to go to church too.” Taylor looked back from the front seat.

“ I love you as my daughter and I’m happy to see a positive change like this but is this the kind of thing that happens so quickly?”

“ I was touched hearing about the stories in the bible. They really inspired me to change and I think the church is exactly what I need.” The director gave her a thumbs up.

“ Then I say go for it with all your heart!”

“ I’ve wanted to check out a church in Japan. It's been my dream.” Taylor looks through the windshield. “ I want to see how it compares to American churches. I wonder if it’s a big difference…” Taylor seems to be lost in thought about churches with a huge smile on her face.

A few hours later.

Our manager threw each of us an outfit for the photoshoot. “ Hurry up and get dressed, the changing rooms are to the right...” her eyes darted around at our faces then at the ground she clutched the sleeves of her blazer before speaking again. “ Oh and thanks for doing this…”

“ No problem! Just promise to be in the photo with us at least once.” This would be my dream to take a photo with my friends would be just great.

“ Ken speaks for all of us. Please join us for at least one photo.. It will serve as proof I have friends now.” Akane’s smile radiated like the sun. I felt my heart skip a beat and a faint blush across my cheeks. I just couldn't look away from her the longer I stared the faster my heart beat got. Mio seems to have noticed me because she quickly interrupts.

“ Alright time to get ready you two lovebirds can wait till after the shoot right?” Akane looked puzzled about who Mio was talking about but she just walked to the changing rooms looking very confused.

“ We should change too, right?” Ai said with a smile

“ Can we have Taylor in the pictures too? She's seriously adorable!” Mio squealed before running off to her dressing room.

“ I don’t owe you an apology after all you let me get assaulted by Emi… Thanks.”

“ T-thanks? Are you a sadist?”

“ NO! I was acting horrible and I deserved that I realized a little stern discipline can go a long way.”

“ Then if you’ve changed, that's amazing anyway why don’t we also get ready?”

“ Yeah sure.” We walked towards our individual changing areas and got ready.