Spurred by Shadow in Midnight ;3

I wondered along the cracked walkway of New York City. Behind me was a horde of girls dressed in skimpy dresses with the ultimate push-up bra on. To describe their make-up, I'd just leave it as "applied by the pound", leaving them unrecognizable from their day selves.

"Hey, Sakura, where are you going?" Sumire, also known as Permy, called from the teem.

I rolled my eyes. "I told you: I'm going to a new corner - a new spot."

"Let's just leave her," Sharpay groaned. "It's not like she controls us."

"I never said you had to come, Luna," I muttered lowly.

"Mikan."

A hand clasped my shoulder and gently chided me to a stop. I turned to look at Anna's fatigued, aqua eyes, hollow with sorrow.

"Ann-...Bianca, I need to leave that corner." I removed her hand and continued walking. "None of you have to follow me or anything."

Anna ran to stay by my side. "Of course we'd come with you; we're your friends."

"You two are," Luna mumbled. "I'm not."

Sumire slapped her hands to her sides in exasperation. "Then leave, dammit."

Luna crossed her arms and became quiet as she pouted.

"Mikan, why are you leaving? Please tell us," Anna pleaded.

I sighed. "Like I said, I need a change."

Finally, I found the corner that I had decided to claim as my own the other day. I unhooked the heels that hung from my fingers and slipped them onto my pale feet then proceeded to slide my coat off, showing my own crop top that exposed my cleavage, the edge of my lace bra and short pencil skirt.

"You guys can either stay or leave," I continued, "but choose quickly because I don't want you all here making me look suspicious."

Sumire snorted as she ditched her fur jacket. "Having us here will make it more suspicious."

I shook my head and started pacing the length of the sidewalk bathed in the tapering lights of New York. "You know what I meant."

Anna shed her sweat shirt and clapped her hands once. "Let's get down to business."

Luna reluctantly slid on her heels and stood at the curb, checking her make-up. Within a minute, a sleek red car pulled up in front of her. She expertly leaned her elbows on the window sill as the driver rolled the window down. She displayed her 'twins' and just as the minute limit was about to be hit, she opened the door and got in the car.

Sumire groaned. "Why does she always go first?"

I laughed. "Because her boobs are the biggest and she practically shows them to the tits."

Anna gasped. "Language, Mikan, language."

I waved her off easily and smirked as a sleek, black convertible rolled up in front of me. Just like Luna, I leaned my elbows on the window sill and looked into the car. It was a muscular male with raven hair and sunglasses on. The sunglasses immediately drew a red flag as it was practically twelve AM by now.

"Hey," he said, leaning towards me.

I forced the corners of my lips up. "Hey, what's up?"

"I'm on my way home." He looked at my chest. "Wanna come?"

I pulled open the door and settled into the leather seats, winking at Sumire as we drove away. For a minute, I forgot the rules and gawked at the expensive appliances in the car: a high-tech stereo, a video camera for backing up and automatic mirrors.

"This is quiet the car," I remarked.

"Thanks," he replied.

I glanced at him, watching as he concentrated on the road. He had a broad nose and defined cheek bones; aka: he was hot. Most guys in this business were the nerds no one would bang but him...he could get anyone.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Sakura," I replied instantly.

He glanced at me and scoffed. "No, your real name."

I smirked. "It's confidential from clients." I watched the trees pass by and the houses slowly become bigger, larger and overall better. "Usually men like you aren't in this sort of business."

He shrugged. "All men need some relief."

"But men like you could find 'relief' from anyone walking the streets," I urged. "So why ask a prostitute?"

A devilish smirk dominated his face. "Because they know what they're doing more than anyone else."

It took me a minute, but I actually laughed. He had logic and reasoning - obviously - but he seemed to forget that we also knew how to catch STDs and crabs. Luckily, I hadn't been in the business long enough plus I was extra careful. Sumire and Anna on the other hand...they weren't so lucky.

"So, why is someone like you selling their body?"

"Confidential," I sing-songed.

The man's lips twitched. "Do you go to school?"

"Confidential."

"Do you have a house?"

"Confidential."

"Do you eat on a regular basis?"

"Confiden-"

"Seriously," he snapped, "how could someone stalk you from knowing if you eat?"

I laughed. "You'd be surprised. Sharpay's had it happen to her and Bianca woke up to a client making her breakfast."

The man was quiet. He didn't like to be wrong, I could tell in the way his brow furrowed and he cleared his throat.

The wrest of the car ride was silent. I tried to start more small-talk, but he was unusually hard to converse with. Whether it was how he apparently didn't like to talk or if he was a sore loser, I didn't care enough to tell. But I never liked the silent air of an awkward car ride.

Finally, we pulled into a parking garage and the man led me from his car to a hotel room.

"In town for business?" I asked once he set his keys down and took off his coat.

"Hn," he replied.

As he turned his back, I rolled my eyes and took off my heels after throwing my coat on the nearby bench.

"I hope you don't mind, but I like payment beforehand."

He looked at me and teasingly grinned. "How will I know how good you are?"

I walked up to him and slowly leaned in until our lips were barely touching. "Trust me, I'm good."

Still, he seemed dubious. "I'll give you half now and half after."

"Okay." I sighed. "You better not pass out after."

He laughed. "I'll be awake when you leave; don't want you stealing anything."

I slowly unbuttoned his shirt and chuckled. "Please, can't you tell: I'm an angel."

As I slipped his shirt off and felt his muscles under my hands he scoffed. Then, he grabbed the hinges of my shirt and pulled it over my head.

"Let's get started."

"Eager beaver," I teased, lightly kissing him.

He chuckled. "You better be good."

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy,
When skies are gray.

I jumped out of the bed and ran towards the sound, finding my jacket on a bench. It took me a second, but I finally found my cheap flip phone in one of my pockets.

"Hey bud!" I cheerfully called. "What's up?"

"Where are you?" he asked.

I looked around, wondering the same thing. My eyes widened as I looked around the tidy hotel room. I didn't...right? Slowly, I turned to look at the bed I had just pounced from, hunched over and peering through one abhorred eye. Surely enough, the man from last night was sitting on his elbows, watching me with groggy crimson eyes.

He smirked and mimicked, "'You better not pass out after,'" in a low, seductive tone.

I cringed and turned away from him, slipping on my pencil skirt and pulling it down to my knees.

"Where are you?" he repeated on the other line.

While putting my heels on I sang, "On my way!"

Silence engulfed the other end. I face-palmed and repeatedly cursed to myself beneath my breath. I was a horrible, horrible person.

"Listen, bud," I said, pausing in my actions. "I'm sorry I'm not there but I promise I will be really soon, okay? This won't happen again, alright?"

He was quiet. I could see him standing in the squalid kitchen, head bent and feet pointed together.

"...Where are you?"

I sighed and covered my eyes with my hands. "Please, do me a favor."

"Okay," he replied with a moment of apprehension.

"Sit down on the couch..."

There was some shuffling then he quietly prompted, "And?"

"Turn on the TV..."

Again, more shuffling, then the sound of the news rang through my ears. "Okay?"

"Now," I said, smiling as I imagined his anxious eyes gleaming. "Watch your favorite show until I get there."

"Jake and The Neverland Pirate?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yes!" I laughed as he squealed in glee and made a grab for my coat, throwing it over my scandalous top to make myself look civilized. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay; bye."

The line went dead. I scoffed and began to mumble how I had been replaced by Jake and the pirates when the client from last night cleared his throat.

I froze. "Erm...well...Sorry, got to go!"

I tried to escape through the door but he called, "Don't you want the second half of the payment?"

For a minute, I debated leaving, knowing it was the right decision. But the idea of having more money in my empty pockets was too much to resist. I needed to get through this year and then I'd be free.

So, slowly and pathetically, I turned and walked over to the half naked man, snatching the money from his outstretched hand and sarcastically curtsying, saying, "Thank you for your time."

The man chuckled and waved me off as he pulled out his phone and began to scroll through something or another. I took this chance to escape cleanly. At the edge of the curb I took off my heels and began to run to my house which was west of the hotel. Within five minutes, I had reached the run-down apartment complex that I called home, my feet hot and blistered.

"Youichi!" I called as I banged open the door.

An adorable child was sitting on my quaint, red sofa with stuffing pouring out. He turned his turquoise eyes towards me, a curtain of silver locks falling over his forehead.

"Hi, Mom."

I smiled and ran over to ruffle his hair and smack a juicy kiss on his forehead. "How'd you sleep, bud?"

He shrugged and looked at the TV again. "Good."

All worries about me seemed to have been purged from his mind as he watched Jake collect some gold coins and Captain Hook get eaten by the gator. I chuckled under my breath and grabbed his backpack, seeing that he hadn't packed a lunch. When I opened the fridge, I realized it was time to go shopping. The man from last night had been generous, giving me five hundred bucks. If I got more toilet paper, milk, hot dogs, cold cuts, bread and some carrots, I'd be able to pay off the electricity bill and ignore the heating bill as summer was approaching.

"Maybe I could get a blanket or two, too," I thought aloud, grabbing a slice of ham and some mayo along with bread.

After a minute, I had smacked together a solid lunch for a second grader. Glancing at the clock, I saw that I still had a few minutes to spare before we needed to begin our walk to the elementary school at the edge of town.

"Youichi, did you brush your teeth?" I called as I ran into the other room and threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a fitting black T.

"No," he replied.

I poked my head into the room, watching as he didn't budge. "Youichi." He looked at me. "Now."

For a minute, we stared at one another, a challenge presenting in his eyes. But finally, he turned away, shut off the TV and walked past me and into the bathroom. I followed behind him, running a brush through my auburn curls and throwing it up into a pony tail. As Youichi brushed his teeth and combed his hair, I pinned my name tag into my shirt and quickly scrubbed my teeth with an old tooth brush.

Youichi pointed to the tub. "Mommy, what's that?"

I glanced over and saw the white fuzz growing around the edges of the pasty green tub. Groaning, I walked into the kitchen and dialed a cleaners number, deciding it was that time of year to get our annual cleaning done. He said he'd be over at 3 so I figured I could take my lunch break, go grocery shopping and stop by long enough to get him settled in. He was a nice guy, nice enough for me to leave my home to him for an hour or so.

"Mommy," Youichi called, "It's 8:15."

"Thanks, bud," I said, grabbing his backpack as he tied his shoes.

I placed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sac over the coat he wore and coaxed him out the door, locking it as we left.

"Where were you?" he asked as we strolled the streets.

I sighed and took his outstretched hand. "Mommy had work."

Youichi looked up at me in confusion. "Mommy was at the restaurant so late at night?"

"No, Youichi." I thanked the driver who had stopped to let us cross the street. "Mommy has other work too. She-"

"You mean the night classes?"

I smiled at my angel. "Yeah, Youichi, the night classes."

He nodded, as if finally understanding a perplexing problem. He'd never know how I also worked as a prostitute during the nights. I only had to do it for a year until I got my degree and could finally get a sustainable job. For now, and hopefully for forever, he'd see me as the hardworking mom who worked all day, everyday to excel her standards and make life better for him.

Finally, we reached the school. Children were scampering around the yard in front, running from hug-seeking arms or showing one another a fascinating rock. Behind them, the brick building loomed over the adoring rhododendron shrubs with opened doors. I stopped at the gate, turning my child towards me as I bent down on one knee so that we were eye-to-eye.

"Goodbye, Youichi."

"Bye, Mom." He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Get some tips so that we can get ice cream."

I laughed and ruffled his hair, standing up as I pushed him towards his school. "Sure thing, bud."

He waved one last time and disappeared into the school just as the bell rang. All the children followed behind him, some struggling away from the secure arms who had captured them. All, however, were giggling or smiling happily. That's partially why I had chosen this school for my beloved son - because of the happiness it seemed to hold.

For a minute, I debated whether to go to work or take my chances with the principal. It'd been a while so I might as well try, right? Taking a deep breath, I walked into the school, admiring the colorfully drawn pictures on display as well as the cheerful pictures taken while on field trips or during an activity. Youichi was in many of the pictures, his stoic face blankly staring at what he was doing or focused on the camera. I'd need to ask the principal for copies.

Approaching the door labeled 'Misaki Harada', I stopped and knocked hearing a quiet, "Come in," as a response. Upon peeling open the door, I could see the beautiful woman sitting behind her desk, her kind caramel eyes melting at the sight of me.

"Oh, Mikan," she greeted, standing up and bracing me in a hug. "It's been a while."

I laughed. "Yeah, but you know why I'm here..."

Misaki sat down, pulling at a strand of her carmen hair. "Yes, I know, I know. Didn't I already tell you: I'll call you when a spot opens up."

I sat in the chair and sighed. "I know, it's just been so long. Aren't there any people that seem to be looking into other jobs or anything?"

"No," Misaki gravely admitted. "Mikan, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can find a job here for you."

"Please, Misaki," I begged. "Becoming a teacher is what I'm majoring in; all I need is a chance. There's still a year...don't give up on me."

Misaki leaned forward and clasped our hands together. "I'd never give up on you, Mikan. It's just that the last time I hired or fired someone...it's been over two years. My current staff seems indestructible and somehow perfect. I can't fire one of them without a valid reason."

Suddenly, a knock came on the door. "Mrs. Harada, the new parent has arrived with his child."

The woman turned to me and apologetically smiled. "Keep working this hard and I'm sure you'll get a job." I nodded, standing up as she said, "Come in."

The door opened and in walked a raven-haired man with stunning crimson eyes. My insides flipped and my throat closed as if someone were suffocating me. I tried to duck my head as soon as his profile registered but it was too late; a smirk had already presented itself on his face.

"Sakura."

Misaki cocked her head. "Sakura? No, this is Mikan Yukihara."

I turned towards her and opened my mouth, silently screaming 'No, no!'. Only Misaki would carelessly give away my information.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Well that's because she-"

"-Is looking for a job," I finished for Misaki, glaring at her to somehow silence her. "I'm looking for a job as a teacher."

I glanced at the girl that he had by his side. She had captivating emerald eyes and blonde hair; but she looked nothing like the man.

"Who's this?" I asked cheerfully as I squatted to her level.

She stepped back a bit, clutching a battered bear in her arms. "I-I'm...I'm Lisa."

I smiled brightly. "It's nice to meet you, Lisa." I extended my hand. "I'm Mikan."

Lisa slowly shook my hand and offered me a timid smile.

"Are you this man's daughter?" I asked carefully.

"She's a child in the foster care program that I run," the man said.

I looked up at him and smiled softly, suddenly seeing him in a whole new light. "And how are the foster homes, Lisa?"

Lisa fiddled with her bear. "Th-They're pretty good. Better than my old one."

I beamed at her remark. "Well, I'll tell you a secret, Lisa."

She eagerly looked up at me. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I replied, leaning in for just the two of us to hear. "I'm going to be bringing my son out for ice cream later today. If you want, you can join us."

Lisa jumped up and down in glee. "Yes please!"

I laughed and ruffled her hair, noting the feel of the coarse and dry texture. "Okay then; just look for Youichi and tell him your coming for ice cream with us."

"What are you planning?" the man asked. "If she goes anywhere, she'll need a guardian."

I cocked my head to the side. "Well, you're her guardian now, right?"

"Technically."

I clapped my hands once. "Then you'll come too, Mr..."

"Natsume Hyuuga," Misaki chirped from her desk.

Natsume glared at her and she withered within her seat. I thought that I needed some lessons on how to glare like that.

"I'll see you both at 3:30 then." I brought my face close to Lisa's again. "Remember, it's a secret."

We both put our pointer fingers against our lips and smiled. Natsume skeptically watched our interaction, slipping his hands into the pockets of his glamorous suit. As I stood and patted her head, his brow twitched, looking at me from beneath his lashes. Experiencing his glare firsthand, I decided that I definitely needed a lesson from him. But that'd mean having to associate with a former client...

"Oh!" I called, stopping in my tracks to glance back at Misaki. "Could I have some copies of the pictures of Yo?" I asked.

Misaki smiled, pulling an envelope out of a drawer and extending it towards me. "Do I know you? Or do I know you?"

I laughed, snatching the envelope from her and stuffing it in my purse. "You know me," I admitted, making my exit after waving one last time.

As I exited the building, I couldn't help the excitement that rose within my stomach. Not only would Youichi get ice cream, he'd get a new friend too. Then I remembered that I was supposed to get groceries and stop by the cleaners...which would I have to sacrifice for Youichi's play date?

As I began to walk to my work, I began to regret asking Natsume to come as well. After all, I knew clearly what type of man he was. I was just so caught up in the moment and the idea that he could be a kind man that ran an orphanage that I forgot about last night. But I didn't know him...not enough to define whether he was a creepy pervert or a caring business owner.

Slowly, reality hit me and once again, I saw that I had acted foolishly in the office, thinking and feeling like the twenty-four year old woman that I was. You're a mother, Mikan. You can't afford to do anything stupid like this...why are you so stupid? I thought to myself. For some reason, I could never stop myself from being who I was: a brash, childish woman who had gotten pregnant and couldn't live up to any challenge.

I was Mikan Yukihara: a waitress at Cup of Tea by day, a student by night, a prostitute in between, but a mother full time. Why was that so hard to comprehend?

Hey, so here's another story...sorry for those PN and SL fans out there but I couldn't resist! Anyways, please tell me your opinions and suggestions; they'll help me see whether I should uphold this story or leave it and wait for another time when I'm far less busy to continue it.

~Brisken