Takiami Niam was different from the get go. Growing up in LA was hard enough but being the only Japanese girl in your entire grade wasn't entirely easy. She lived with her Japanese mom who had a blonde husband with 2 kids who all looked like the perfect family. Her dad died 3 years before, when she was 15, causing her to move back to America. She had lived here in for the first 10 years of her life and then to Japan for a while. It wasn't until she was 18 and old enough to move out that Taki finally grabbed a duffle bag, packed it with stuff, and jumped out her bedroom window.

The airplane ride was long and her back ached from the crowded space but she made do. Her long black hair was down, framing her thin face, blue eyes standing out the most. She smiled and grabbed her suitcases, hailing a cab and dumping her bags in the trunk.

Sitting back, you could see in her eyes she had a million thoughts running through her head. Her mother had probably discovered that she was missing and had called all their relatives, good-naturally leaving him last. He wasn't exactly the golden child and everyone knew that. But what she had done was wrong. Leaving him alone in Japan with only Grandma to take care of him was by far the most evil, conniving thing she had ever done. That cold-hearted bitch. Whether Taki's mom had given birth to her or not, she was a bitch. No way around it.

The way Taki figured it, you were born something. A label, a pet name, something. Everybody had theirs. No way around it.

So walking through the crowds of people, she thought of her very own label. Blue eyed Japanese girl who had run away from home. Yeah, that would totally make the morning news.

The stairs to the apartment were long and tiresome and would be hard on her back. But the elevator lead right inside the apartment and she didn't want to wake him up. Not just yet. Up the stairs she went and she knocked on the door. The door swung open and he stood there, telephone pressed to his ear and worry evident on his face.

His smile quickly replaced the worry and he pulled the phone from his ear. Her mother's voice sounded on the other end and then were drowned out by sobs. She muttered "That girl better be sorry" in Japanese, her voice now menacing. Oh, how sweet. He clicked the "End" button on his phone, interrupting the rambling woman mid-sentence. Takiami could practically hear her shriek of disgust.

"Welcome home, lil' sis." Takashi said in Japanese, pulling his sister into a deep hug and kissing the top of her head.

"It's good to be home" She replied, her long known Japanese accent coming for the first time in years.

It was really good.

Weren't expecting that were ya?

Whadya think? I put a lot of thought into this one and really hope to continue it!

-Moi