Chapter 1: The Dream

"Will we meet again some day?"

"I'm sure we will"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Chihiro knew she was dreaming again, the same dream she had every night for the past eight years, the moment she said goodbye to Haku. Chihiro was awoken by the sound of the couple in the apartment above her arguing just like almost every morning.

"Ugh well it's time to get up anyways" She grumbled

She glanced over at the clock yawning, her mouth flew opened

"AHH! I'm going to be late for class again!"

She ran over to her dresser threw some clothes, and glanced in the mirror her hair was a mess sticking up in every which way, it was longer than when she was in the spirit world it grazed the bottom of her breasts, she still kept her bangs in the same short fashion she brushed them with her fingers. She was taller but still pretty short compared to other girls to her despair the last thing she wanted to do stand out. She threw her hair up with the only hair band she ever used, the one Zeniba gave her. If she didn't wear it in her hair she always had it around her wrist she didn't feel safe without it, her thoughts started to trail off.

Haku.. "No there is no time to think about him right now" she ran out the door.

She was so glad her college was right across from her apartment. She scrambled into her art class just as her professor was about to start.

She sat down at her usual spot, opened her sketchbook and took her pencil out.

"Well now that Ms. Chihiro is ready I guess we can start" Said Mrs. Yumada

"I'm very sorry" Chihiro bowed her head a little.

Not giving Chihiro a second glance, Mrs. Yumada began to speak "I want everyone to draw what's on there mind today".

Chihiro started right away she knew what she wanted to draw

"Hey Chihiro, your not drawing that boy again are you?"

She jumped and glanced over at Hojo the boy that always sat next to her

"Umm yeah" she said nervously

"Who is he anyway? Have you met him before?" Hojo asked curiously

"Yes I have, his name is Haku" She looked down at her drawing of Haku's face it looked just like a portrait of him.

He didn't say anything else until she was finished, he glanced over at her drawing. She looked down at it proudly it was Haku from the shoulders up and then in the background she had drawn Haku in his Dragon form coming out of the Kohaku River.

"I see you drew that favorite dragon of yours coming out of a river, is Haku connected to the dragon somehow?"

"Um no not really" Chihiro mumbled

"Well it's a beautiful drawing" He smiled

Chihiro had never really got a good look at Hojo this was the first time she noticed he was very attractive, his short brown hair glistened in the sunlight, his skin was very tan and smooth looking, and his eyes were a strange shade of gold that Chihiro had ever seen.

"T-thank you"

She turned quickly back to her drawing

"Hey um Chihiro" She turned to him, he ran his hands nervously threw his hair "I was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee with me after class?"

Her answer was instant "No I have to do something else today"

"Class you are dismissed" rang Mrs. Yumada's voice

She ran out of the class room without giving Hojo a second glance

She ran back to her apartment as fast as she could and flopped down on her bed. She was happy to finally be left to her own thoughts. How long was Haku going to keep her waiting? He promised they would see each other again, she missed everyone so much.

"I wish I never left!"

She took a deep breath, After coming back she knew she never fit in the human world. She had no friends like she did there, sure she talked to people in class but they weren't actually her friends, she was all alone. She and her parents lived in the blue house up till 6 months ago, they had to move again to a town 3 hours away for there jobs she refused to leave because she felt like she would lose her connection to the spirit world and since she was eighteen she just got her own small apartment that she paid for by waitresing part time at a restaurant down the street. She only seen her parents on holidays and they called occasionally but they had there own lives now, and hers was back in the spirit world a place she couldn't get back to. She'd tried countless times she walked through the spirit gate so many times she knew every rock and tree, all she found on the other side was an empty field, each time she had high hopes that the spirit gate would open for her, but it never did.

"Why wont you come for me Haku!" she screamed

Her eyes started to tear up she knew she had always loved Haku but over the years it turned into a romantic love for him.

She stood up she knew where she was going to go it was the only place she could feel close to Haku. She jumped in the car and started driving.