Wake up wake up

Gotta get this paper, get this cake upGotta do my hair gotta put on makeup. Gotta act like I care 'bout this fake stuff, straight up. What a waste of my day.

-Jhene Aiko

Monday Morning came as fast as it shouldn't have. Fatalia rolled out of bed and started her daily routine of stretching and meditating. By the time she got down to doing her make up in the mirror in nothing but a bra and towle wrapped around her waist, her phone ranged. She answered.

"Good morning!" Tenten shouts from the other end of the phone.

"Goodmorning guys." Fatalia smirks.

"Guys LETS GO OR YOU'LL BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" Ezra yells at her children. She sighs. "Morning guys."

"Jesus yell our ears off why don't you?" Ino growls.

"Another hangover Ino?" Sakura giggles.

"No!" Ino snaps. "Mind your business, Pinky."

"My my do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Ezra says dryly.

"Oh fuck you too." Ino spit. "I need my coffee."

"Sweetie starbucks is right around the corner from your job." Tenten says. "Hop to it."

"In the drive thru as we speak." Ino groans.

Fatalia smiled. Her friends were really different from her and that's what she loved so much.

Tenten's athletic, more that Fatalia could ever be. Sure she enjoyed the simple sports like basketball and football, sometimes baseball. But Tenten was really into staying fit and eating healthy. All through school the girl's played almost every sport that would allow girls to participate in. She tries her best to avoid confrontation, but with friends like Ino and Sakura that's kind of hard to come by. She's a sweet girl overall.

Sakura was the rational and slightly responsible one. She knew her friends were clumsy, stubborn and sometimes forgetful. Sakura was there to clean up the messes. She was a bit of a hot head at times herself when pushed, but she was really the sweetest one of the group. What typical cliques would deam "the smart one".

Ezra went from the muscle of the group to the mother. Yes, because she's the only one with a family. She nurtures her friends as if they were her children but also respects them as her equal. She's always cooking and taking them food and spending time, as well as giving advice to her friends. She's quick to fight for her friends and her family. She's the resonable one although she tends to let Sakura and Ino rip eachother's throats out on occassions before she or Tenten breaks it up.

Ino was obviously the loose canon. Being told how hot you are your entire life does that to you. Ino's very cocky when it comes to herself as well as her friends. She can be nice when it's necessary, but that's a rare occassion.

Fatalia was actually the chill one. She was more to herself and only spoke when she was spoken too. Although she has these nice characteristics, she can also be a be as mean as Ezra. Which is pure evil.

This was their normal routine. Every morning the girls would get on the phone with one another and talk all the way to their jobs or whatever errand they had to run. It was beneficial to their friendship.

"Shit, Guys I forgot to tell you Yama has a basketball game this Saturday." Ezra groaned as her set of twins talked in the background.

"Mom you forgot?!" The nine year old girl shrieked.

"Mind your business." Ezra raised up a finger to shush the girl. "I didn't forget, I just forgot to tell your Aunties. That's all."

"She totally forgot." Her son snickered.

"Shut up Myan!" Ezra growled. "Just like your fucking father."

"I heard that." The boy says again.

"And?" Ezra cocked an eyebrow. "What you gonna do about it?"

"Probably tell Dad." The boy shrugged.

Ezra deadpanned as her friends laughed through her earphones.

"Fuck you guys." She grumbled.

"Of course you know we're all there in the school colors and all." Ino says. "I have to cheer my baby on."

"This is an elementary school Ino." Tenten reminds the blonde. "We don't need you dressing like we're going to a frat party."

"Oh god no." Ezra says as Sakura and Fatalia laugh.

"I know how to dress for kid events!" Ino frowned.

"Ha, okay." Tenten rolled her eyes. "Remember the twins first birthday?"

"I was eighteen!" Ino yells.

"Not much of a difference from eighteen to twenty-seven." Sakura snorts.

"HA!" Fatalia threw her head back in laughter.

"You guys are jerks, alright?" Ino whines. "I promise I will be kid friendly at this gathering."

"I think it's best if Izzy dresses you." Tenten says.

"I don't mind dressing another child." Ezra says as she pulls up to her kids' school. "Have a good day babies."

"Bye mom!" Her twins spoke as they climbed out of the car. She watched them safely enter the gate before she drove in the direction of Fatalia's apartment.

"Fuck you!" Ino spat. "I'm not gonna be the butt of every whore joke, okay?"

"So you're into anal too?" Sakura covered her mouth as she sat at her office desk. Tear welling in her eyes as she tried to contain her uncontrollable laughter.

"Sakura!" Tenten snorted and dropped her medicine ball she'd been carrying to her car. She bent over to laugh and try to pick up the weight, but she was laughing too hard.

Fatalia tripped over herself as she tried to get into her jeans. Only getting one leg in, she fell over in her room floor. She laughed uncontrollably.

"I swear I hate all of you." Ino grumbled.

---------

"Naruto open the door!" His publicist banged on the door to his condo. Naruto frowned and turned over, pulling his comforter and sheet over his body.

"Go away." He groans.

"Naruto you're way past deadline I need that manuscript!"

Naruto snuggled deeper into his bed. Once he felt himself getting into a deep sleep, his room door hit the wall with a bang.

"Naruto!" The slender woman marched to the king-sized bed and snatched the comforter and sheet off of Naruto's snuggled up body. He rolled over.

"Konan come on." Naruto groaned rolling his eyes. He reached for the blankets only for the said woman to pull them completely off the bed.

"Naruto, you're a week past the deadline and we need the manuscript so we can start publishing!" Konan grabbed Naruto by his throat roughly, something she always did to him when he was stressing her out.

"If you'd actually came here with a better mindset then I would've told you they're over there on the desk." Naruto pointed to said desk for emphasis. Konan's golden eyes darted over to the desk to see the paperclipped stack of papers. She sighed and let go of her client. She rubbed her temples as she walked towards the desk and grabbed the stack. She flipped through it before turning to look at Naruto, who clearly flopped back over on his bed . Face completely in the pillow and snoring.

"Naruto!" She snapped.

"Hm?" Naruto's head shot up.

"Honestly." She scoffed. "Did you forget you have a interview this morning? Ya'know, to promote this new book's release? The sequel to your first book that everyone was supposed to have by next week?"

The blonde gave a frustrated sigh. "Alright fine." He yawns rolling off the bed. He hit the floor with a thud causing Konan to roll her eyes.

"Why did I bother to take you on as a client?" She mumbles to herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose and walked to exit the room.

"Because I'm family." He groans as he rolls over. "By law you're my sister!"

"I can conjure up a divorce." Konan says as she leans against the doorframe. "Hurry up and get ready. I'll have coffee for you in the car." With that Konan took her exit.

-----------

We're here with Best-Selling Author and Poet, Naruto. And he's here to talk about his new book My Dear Melancholy; which is the Sequel to his debut novel Beauty Behind The Madness.

Fatalia looked down at her phone as she listened to the radio show she always follows for her daily music and reads. That's how she finds her books to read.

"He's made a sequel?!" She gasped.

"Who?" Ezra asked as she continued to scarf down her food. They had just got lunch from their vocal training and Ezra was completely starving.

"N-Naruto." Fatalia says again. "I read his work. He's really talented."

Ezra blinked a few times watching her friend blush before turning back to her food. "Hn, seems to me like you like more than Naruto's work."

Fatalia looked down at her hands where her phone was still going on. "I don't even know what he looks like."

"They don't put his picture in the books?"

Fatalia shook her head. "No."

"Google him." Ezra frowned.

"He doesn't use his last name in his penname." Fatalia says. "And when I googled 'Naruto' ramen popped up."

Ezra snorted. "Ha, you've been reading noddle work."

"Shut up." Fatalia frowned as Ezra giggled.

Heh, yeah I've decided to make a sequel. I've been reading the fourms on my webpage and fans really enjoyed Kingston and Emerie. So, I really hope they enjoy this one just as much as the first.

Ezra looked back down at her phone, listening to the way he spoke.

"He even sounds like something I wouldn't expect."

"Yeah his voice is kinda rapsy." Ezra says. "It's cute, I just would hate to hear him cry though."

Fatalia snorted. "Shut up."

After listening to the release to the book, Fatalia exited out the app and locked her phone.

"So did you have fun?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah, it was great." Fatalia smiled. "I now know my strong suits."

"And what you need to work on." Ezra nodded. "You're gonna be great once you start actually producing music. I'll bring to a session when I get one scheduled."

"I can't wait." Fatalia says as she continued eating her food.

"Wrote anything lately?" Ezra asks.

"What kind of question is that?" Fatalia frowns.

"Let's go to back to my place cus I want to look at it." Ezra smiles. "Plus I have to get the kids from school while they're father is off at training."

Both girls reached for their wallets to pay for their food before getting their things and exiting the restaurant.

----------

"So do I get first copy?" Sasuke asked as he looked down at his camera. He was shooting headshots for a new upcoming model. Naruto called him, not having anything to do after his interview. So he invited the blonde over.

"The writer always gets first copy, Sasuke." Naruto says dryly. "You know that."

"Silly me." Sasuke says as he continues taking another photo. He stood upright and looked down at his picture. He looked at the girl before him. She was a cute girl. Around five'eleven and very petite. She had small breast, like an A-cup. Long amber hair and stunning green eyes. Her nose was a button and her lips were full. Her skin reminded you of honey.

"Can you turn slightly to the right?" Sasuke says using his hand as he spoke. The girl nodded and turned untill Sasuke told her to stop. He brought the camera up to his face. "Beautiful." He says snapping the photo. He looked it over. "So do I get dibs on second copy, Naruto?"

"Maybe." Naruto stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Alright, all done." Sasuke smiles politely at the girl who did the same. "I'll have these printed and sent to you as soon as possible. If you want the negatives then I'll send you those too."

"Great." She spoke. Her voice sounding like gold. "I hope I get to work with you again in the near future Mr. Uchiha." She stuck her hand out.

Sasuke smiled and took the girl's hand in his before shaking it. "Me too Cassidy." He says.

The girl waves goodbye and grabs her things. Sasuke let his camera hang from his neck. He looked over at his friend.

"I have another client in an hour." He says. "But I'm hungry." He frowns. Naruto frowns as well.

"Well, when do you go on lunch?" The blonde asked.

"Technically whenever I want." Sasuke says smartly. "But sometimes my clients tend to be early."

The door opened silencing the two as they looked to see who it may be. It was a slender girl. With a nice curve to her figure. Her breast were slightly bigger than the girl before. She was milky chocolate color, with her hair tied into a ponytail. She wore simple jeans, a tshirt and heels. Simple yet she looks so amazing.

Naruto coughed, pulling himself out of the trance. Sasuke chuckled.

"Loser." He mumbles. "Hi, you must be Amber."

"You must be Mr. Uchiha." The girl smiled and extended her hand to his. They shook hands.

"Please, call me Sasuke." He says. "So I understand this is a photoshoot for some designer, right?"

The girl nodded. "Heather, yes."

"Good. If you don't mind, I have my own hair and makeup crew for you at your beck and call just over there." Sasuke pointed to the station across the room. "They'll get you all set for the shoot and whenever you're ready just come back this way and we'll get satarted. I'll have my set crew set up at that time." The girl nodded and walked past the two of them. Sasuke again stuck his hands in his pockets.

"She's pretty cute." He says again once the girl was out of earshot.

"Have you ever slept with a model before, Sasuke?" Naruto whispers over the raven's shoulder. Sasuke snorted and looked at his friend.

"What kind of man do you take me for, Naruto?" Sasuke scoffed. "Mixing business with pleasure?" Naruto folded his arms across his chest and gave his friend a stern look. "Okay four of them." Sasuke says under his breath. "Hopefully five."

"What? Ew." Naruto frowned. "I'm going home."

"I thought you wanted lunch after this?"

"You've got a model to screw."

Sasuke scoffed. "I don't screw them after the shoot idiot." He says.

Naruto looked down at his shoes. "I knew that."

"No you didn't." He snorted.

"Hey um, about a week or so after my book is published I need you to take pictures for me." Naruto asked.

"Naruto, are you trying to book me?" Sasuke smirked.

"Don't do this right now." Naruto groans.

"No, I have to." Sasuke smiles. "Call my assistant and I'll see if I can squeeze you in."

"Sas-"

"-Now Naruto, business is business." Sasuke says cockily. "I cannot treat you any differently just because you are my best friend. It cannot happen."

"Dude." Naruto deadpans.

"Okay, no sure when do you need me?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm not sure; when Konan sets the date I'll get back to you." Naruto nods.

"Ah Konan." Sasuke smirks. "That's who you should be messing around with."

"She's married to Nagato you creep." Naruto sours.

"It's cool to keep it in the family."

"Is that what you, Sai and Itachi do?"

"We've flipped girls before, yes." Sasuke looks at his friend in all seriousness.

Naruto blinked once. Then twice. "Wow."

"Crazy nights." Sasuke claps his hands together once his model is fully dressed and done with hair and makeup. "Alright let's get this started!"

"Ew." Naruto says again with a frown. "I can't even look at you the same."

"Yeah, well-- Remeber Janice?" Sasuke looked down at his camera. He snapped a few photos and looked at them. "I never looked at you the same."

Naruto's mouth dropped. "I-I didn't know she was a trans!"

"Yeah so you say, my friend." Sasuke sighed, Walking to the left with his camera in his face snapping photos of the model as she posed.

"Sasuke I'm serious." Naruto says sternly.

"Okay Naruto." Sasuke says after a chuckle.

"I know what you're doing you asshole." Naruto frowns.

"I'm just taking pictures of my client, Naruto." Sasuke says sarcastically. Naruto felt a vein appearing on his forehead. He shut his eyes to contain his anger. It was an Uchiha thing. They all had that special hidden talent of getting under anyone's skin without even purposely trying. Their smug nonchalant manner always makes you want to kick their ass at least twice a day. At least. Prime example, Kiba and Sai. Sometimes Sai does nothing at all and Kiba is ready to fight.

"You're doing that double entendre thing!"

"Hn." Sasuke kneeled down, continuing to snap photos.

"Jerk." Naruto mummbles causing the raven to chuckle.

"Love you too buddy."

---------

That's that shit that I like.

A man that can open my mind. Is wrong that I really really really really want you?

"Ah, no." Ezra stopped her ebony friend from singing. Fatalia straightened up and stared at Ezra. "Fatal when you sing, stop trying so hard to switch octives. Let it flow, whatever key it lands in that's it."

"I think she was doing pretty good." Riku says shoving popcorn in his mouth. His wife whirled around and glared at him.

"Do you sing?" Her eyes narrowed.

The lavender haired man shrugged. "No." He says. "But she sounded good."

"Thank you Riku." Fatalia says.

Ezra glared at her friend. "You sounded good but you were off pitch. Is that what you want? You're not trusting yourself."

"Go easy on her babe." Riku says again.

"I can't baby Fatalia, Riku." Ezra crosses her arms.

"Yeah, Fatalia's gonna get comfortable singing like that. She's never gonna better." Ino crossed her arms. Fatalia frowned.

"I still think you should go easy on her." Riku says again. "She's sensitive."

"That's why we talk to her like this." Sakura says.

"Trust me, no one else would even get an opportunity." Tenten adds.

"They'll find out why her name is Fatalia." 

"Okay you're talking too much." Fatalia says as she runs her hands through her hair. "Trust myself, got it."

"From the top." Ezra says.

Fatalia pursed her lips together and nodded before she cleared her throat. She began to sing, her voice carrying in the silence of her friends. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't be too embarrassed of the fact she was singing in front of them. Even though she wanted to be a singer, Fatalia still had that nervousness of singing in front of someone. She couldn't seem to get over that. Still though, she would try and get out of that by singing in front of her friends and her best friend's husband. It all worked out; sometimes.

"Wow." Riku says breathlessly. "You were right babe she's got potential if she just trust herself."

"You officially owe me money." Ezra replies nodding as she continued to listen to Fatalia's voice. "I really wanna put her in the studio but I want her voice to be ready first."

"She's definitely going to get there soon." Sakura says as she smiles at Fatalia who was still singing.

"She is." Tenten nods. "She just needs that extra push that's all."

When Fatalia came to stop she opened her eyes and looked at her friends who all smiled at her. She blushed and looked away from them.

"Uh, that's all I have of the song so far."

"It's really great!" Ino says jumping up to hug her friend. "Jesus I wish I had the talent you and Ezra have."

"Instead she spends her time picking flowers and selling them." Sakura smiles gaining laughs from the rest of the room.

"Says the one who injects stomach fat into women's asses for a living."

"Well I put plastic bags in her tits so." Sakura pursed her lips together and shrugged."

"Wait what?" Riku looks over at the two. "You did Ino's boobs?!"

"Why is that your concern Riku?" Ezra glared at her husband.

"Uh well, one of the guys was talking about how they thought Ino was really hot and there was a discussion on if her boobs were fake or not." Riku says nervously. "I wasn't involved in the conversation of course, but I--"

"You can't lie to save your life you know that right?" Ezra slowly nodded at her husband with narrowed eyes. He chuckled. 

"Oh look Shouyu's calling." With that the lavender haired man shot up from his seat and walked away.

"He was so in the conversation." Sakura snicked.

"Riku initiated the conversation." Ezra says pinching the bridge of her nose. "Hell he was probably the one who told them that her tits were fake in the first place."

"Enough about my tits please!" Ino says with a frown. "We were suppose to be talking about Fatalia and her song."

"Oh no, this conversation is fine as is." Fatalia says as she sits in the now open seat. "Keep on talking about Ino and her breast impants."

Ino frowned watching the ebony as she took out her phone and began scrolling through it. She casually leaned over and knocked the phone out of the girl's hand while she was scrolling. Fatalia looked over at Ino with a frown.

"Look, nobody is making fun of the fact you have fake tits." The ebony says. "We're talking about it because it's funny. You went to Sakura to get your breast done because you knew she would do it for cheaper than what she normally does, if not cheaper. You're beautiful, Ino. Don't let Sakura and her natural perfectly round ass talk about you when if anything were to go wrong with your tits it's her fault because she put plastic bags on your chest."

The girl's snorted as Ino deadpanned.

"I really don't understand how I even became friends with you whores." Ino shakes her head.

Fatalia reaches fr her phone yet again and unlocked it before she went through to her favorite app and seeing how long would it take for Naruto's book to be published.

"Five days." She says with a sigh. "Just five days and I'll be closed off from the world."

"A new book is coming out?" Tenten asked hearing the girl talk to herself.

"Yes." She smiled.

"Great, by who?" Tenten turned her attention to Fatalia as the other girls talked about Ino's breast and how Sakura did them.

"Naruto." She answers. "I'm pretty sure you've seen him before."

Tenten shook her head. "I've actually worked with someone who knew him but I never saw him." Tenten says as she recalls. "I worked with the Nara security services to train their new recruits. I overheard the CEO talking over the phone to who seemed to be a Naruto so I'm assuming they know eachother."

"How did that go by the way?" Fatalia asked.

"It was actually really cool." Tenten smiles. "I didn't expect the owner to look how he did though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first of all he has hair." Tenten giggles. "Then it was like I dunno, he was professional but his speech was really lazy. It was like he didn't even want to be there or he would rather be in his bed sleeping."

"Understandable." Fatalia nods. "Sounds like me every monday."

The two girls snorted. After a while longer of talking and eating food that Riku cooked, the girls were back to their separate ways. Fatalia rode in her Lyft all the way to her apartment complex. Once she was out she made it all the way up to her apartment and walked in. Completing her nightly routine of a good shower and a few night stretches, she got into her bed and grabbed her book. Beauty Behind the Mask engraved in white letters across the cover. She turned to the first page and began reading.

******

Ezra Takari flipped through a binder full of lists with potential photographers to help her with the cover and promotion of her upcoming album. She yawned loudly and sipped a cup of coffee. She flipped a page over and continued to scan down the list.

"What are you up to?" Riku asked as he walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. He twisted the cap off and took a few large gulps while walking towards the dining table where his wife was apparently working.

"Looking through this list of photographers Tsunade gave me in our last meeting." Ezra says as her eyes continue to scan the printed names. "Everyone I think that has potential, I follow them on instagram and they're not even all that. I need someone who's gonna get all the right angles and make me look right for this album cover."

Riku leaned over his wife's shoulder to get a better look. His eyes scanned across the paper as well, waiting for his wife to flip the page. Once she did, a printed name caught his attention. He quickly pointed.

"Here, him." Riku says. "I heard he's really good and he worked on alot of editorials. And he's worked with some pretty high-end models and celebrities."

Ezra looked at the name and quickly grabbed her phone to look at the man's social media. Once she found his account she went scrolling. "Oh my god."

"You're welcome." Riku kissed his wife on the cheek and walked out of the kitchen. Ezra quickly copied the man's phone number down and called him herself. Within the fourth ring, there was an answer.

"Sasuke Uchiha Photography, this is Sasuke speaking." His monotone voice coming through the speakers.

"Hi Sasuke, my name is Ezra Takari."

"Ah, Mrs. Takari." Sasuke smiles and tucks his phone between his cheek and shoulder as he continues to look through the negatives of his most recent photos. "Riku Takari's beautiful wife. What do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

Ezra smirked and placed her elbows on the table. "Well Mr. Uchiha, I was wondering fi you would do the honors of being the photographer for my album cover."

"Ah, dropping another successful album and you want my assistance?" Sasuke says. "I'd love to. We can set something up. When are you free?"

"Depends, when can you squeeze me in?" Ezra asked.

Sasuke walked out of his greenroom and walked towards the front of his home to his in-home office. He walked to his folder and and opened it up towards the calendar. "I'm actually open all this week except Saturday." He answers. "I have that whole day completely booked."

"How does Thursday sound?" Ezra asked. "I'd be free of anything as well."

"Great, How's 1pm. for you?"

"That sounds like a plan." Ezra smiled. "Thank you Mr. Uchiha."

"No worries, and please call me Sasuke."

"Okay then Sasuke, I'll see you Thursday at 1pm."

"I'll see you."

A/N; it may be kind of slow and boring now guys but once I get the two together that's when it should pick up and become better.