I ran to catch up with one of my oldest friends, Rema Havens.

"Rema!" I called, gaining the attention of said girl. I skidded to a halt next to her, my messenger bag hitting me on the side.

"Woah, slow down, shin'ainaru-kun e," Rema said, laughing a little. I gave her a small glare.

"I am not your 'my dear'!" I said hotly.

Rema raised an eyebrow. "Nope, your watashi no chīsana kawaī."

"I am not your 'my little dear'! I'm not little!"

Rema laughed at my misfortune.

"Okay, okay! Fine," she relented. She was constantly teasing me about my shortness, whereas she was tall. I thought that she was a little mean for that, but she was only teasing...most of the time.

"So, we still on for the party tonight at your house? Will your parents be home?" I asked, hoping that the party was still on. It was a costume party, anime-themed.

"Duh! My parents won't be home for another two weeks!" Rema laughed. "'Sides, you promised me that you come a year ago. This is our year, Nina!"

I shot her a tiny glare. "I know, Rema." I lifted my bag higher on my shoulder. It was filled with all the crap I had gotten this year. I was supremely glad I'd taken AP courses with the addition of afterschool activities that upped my credits for the next year. I could graduate now if I held the desire to.

I didn't. I still had to help Rema with her low-as-crap grades. She had a C average, but that was probably because her parents were always elsewhere and she had to take care of her half-siblings Archer and Robyn. She and I poked fun at each other using our grades as ammunition.

"Any chores you might have to do?" Rema asked, hitching her own messenger bag higher.

"My mom was talking to my dad about making me clean out the sixth floor," I said gloomily. "But Dad said that I could come to this party if there were no chores listed for today."

"Okay," Rema said. "What if you took the list off of your door-"

"I can't, Rema, I might have to work," I said, cutting her off. "You know what happens when I don't do the chores, or even take the list off. I'll get in huge trouble and be working all summer." Rema lookd troubled. Then she smirked. I nearly groaned. Rema had terrible ideas. "What?" I asked irritably.

"Dad said he's workng on a case for you." I stopped walking.

"What?" I asked, my heart hammering.

Rema nodded. "Yeah. He said he's been working on it for a couple years. You do know that this is America, right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, child abuse is illegal." I sighed. "And, while you could be picked up by CPS, I highly doubt that they'd even try to considering you are the wealthy heir to the Deathlight fortune." I nodded. That was true. "So they'd agree with my dad-you should be in a nice, caring home with a girl your age and has been your friend for nearly eleven years."

I'd actually forgotten I was going to turn sixteen in December (still a ways away, but hey).

We exited the school and saw our resident Japanese exchange student. Akari Hikari, also known as Akari-chan.

"Kon'nichiwa, Akari-chan," we greeted.

"Kon'nichiwa, Nīna. Dono yō ni anata no yūjin wa, kyō nodesu ka?" Akari never, ever, EVER said hello to Rema. She'd just ask, 'how is your friend today?' and watch as Rema got angry and spoke to her in rapid-fire French, always complaining on how Akari never addressed her directly.

"Pourquoi ne peut jamais répondre Akari moi? Ce est comme si elle flippe allergique à moi!" (Why can't Akari ever address me? It's like she's freaking allergic to me!) I'd respond to her in French, and then she'd address Akari in Japanese, who then would address me in English. It was confusing for some people, but not us three. Akari was a big part in our small group of three.

"Oui, Rema, elle est définitivement allergique à vous. Même moi, je suis parfois. Ne le prenez pas personnellement." (Yes, Rema, she's definitely allergic to you. Even I am sometimes. Don't take it personally.) Rema glared at me, then turned to Akari.

"Anata wa watashi ga hito to shinai tan'ni `nīna no yūjin' to shite wa suki ni taisho shite kudasai koto wa dekimasu ka?" (Can you please address me like a person and not simply as 'Nina's friend'?)

Akari turned to me. "Please tell your friend I am not her friend and am your friend alone?"

Rema sighed. "Never mind. Akari, are you coming to my party or what?"

"Party?" Akari squealed. Just like that, Akari was Rema's BFF.

"Yes, a party. Anime-themed, wear a costume. Tonight at seven," she instructed.

Akari's smile dimmed.

"I have to go back to Japan tomorrow, so I won't be able to make it," she said regretfully.

Rema sighed.

"Guess it's just you and me then, Nina."

"And Robyn and Archer," I reminded her.

We walked away, Akari following us at a distance as she liked to walk and read American trashy romance novels that were full of steamy scenes that would probably scar that girl's mind for eternity when going to her host parents' house.

Rema shrugged as we continued walking. "Eh. It doesn't matter. They'll probably just watch Rated R movies on Netflix."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Are you kidding me? Nina, they love Rated R crap. They've been to Universal Studios, remember?"

"Yeah, but even so-"

"They don't think it's scary when they watch the movies, Nina. Don't worry," Rema chuckled.

I sighed. "Fine." We reached my street. I can honestly say I hate my six-story house. It seems like we're too rich when you can see the top of the house over the tips of the trees.

"Later, Nina!" Rema called, followed closely by a "Sayōnara nīna!" from Akari.

I waved to them, then reluctantly went to my house...and did a mini dance when I saw that my parents weren't home. I stopped when I saw my neighbor Leslie looking at me with a raised brow.

I chuckled nervously and let myself in...only to see Aaron and Aayla Secura (yes, AAYLA SECURA) sitting at my table and drinking tea, flipping through tattoo designs.

These two aren't two who I would call 'nice'. Well, they are, but they are tough, ex-gang members who knew how kill quickly and efficiently. They were twins, eighteen, and had a myriad of tattoos all over their bodies. Both of them had gotten a life sentence in prison when they were seventeen, but they were set on the straight path after a mysterious girl named Willow got them out of jail. Their records were erased and they got a modest income by working in a tattoo parlor.

I worked with them, cataloguing the inks and tattoos by color and number.

I got a 'modest' pay, depending on how well I did. I had a feeling the money was stolen, but I was saving up so I didn't complain.

"Aaron," I said, making the sisters look up. "Aayla. What are you doing in my house, drinking tea?"

"Well, your parents let us in," Aaron said, shrugging. "We came to talk to you."

"What about?" I asked, praying that they weren't dropping me.

"Well," Aaron said, shrugging. "We wanted to talk to you about learning how to ink sombody."

"Not old enough, but I'd like to," I responded immediately.

Aaron looked thoughtful. "Well...we aren't going to teach you, kid."

"Your two years older than me," I pointed out.

"Yeah, and you are our friend," Aaron said. "You are going to a great college, kid. I wouldn't advise learning inking."

She was trying to warn me away...what the Hel?

"Aaron," Aayla said, putting a hand on her sister's. "We should just tell her."

Aaron sighed. "Fine. Our old gang is in town, and we advise you to not come to the parlor or leave after dark. We came to give you a tattoo in case you do get caught."

I bit my lip, thinking.

"Rema and your friend Akari already have the tattoos. If they are harmed in any way, it would mean...well, you don't want to know," Aaron said darkly.

I shivered. "Fine. But I do have to be at Rema's tonight," I said fiercely.

Aaron grinned, obviously happy that I agreed.

"Oh, well. We can make do. Just make sure you don't apply too much pressure on your tat, ok?" Aaron said. I nodded and she said, "Take off your shirt."

I did so. There was nothing sexual about this, it probably just made a lot more sense to place it on my back with my other tattoos.

~:~

~Rema~

I got ready for Nina's arrival, hoping she wouldn't be too angry at me. She and I told each other practically everything, but the tattoo? Aaron had told me expressly that I wasn't to tell her because it could put her in danger.

I had my costume for Grell on. I personally liked Grell, probably because he was a psycho...and he was supremely feminine. It was POSSIBLE, but I wasn't too sure.

Nina didn't know I was attracted to both sexes. I was never really attracted to her because I knew it would ruin our friendship. So...yeah.

Anyway...I saw Nina on her bike and darted to unlock the front door...and instantly gulped.

A thickly muscled guy stood in front of my front door menacingly, glaring down at me.

He had a knife with him, and I paled drastically even before he raised it.

~:~

~Nina~

I crashed my bike into the muscley bike and had my silver knives ready, scared.

I prayed desperately he wouldn't kill Rema, but when I got a good look at her, I cried out in shock and rushed to her, forgetting about the muscled guy. Taking off the overcoat I was wearing so I could cosplay Sebastian, I pressed it against her wound.

I don't know what happened, but I blacked out shortly after I did that.