Alright people I'm trying this again. I really don't want to lose this story because I think it's really good and it seemed you guys liked the original. Sadly my short attention span makes it hard for me to stick to it, but I'm trying. So here it is.
Everybody sees themselves in the characters of the mangas they read or the animes they watch. However when I started reading One Piece I found myself looking at a mirror. I didn't act or think like this character, I looked like her. There were slight differences sure, her hair fell to her shoulders while mine reached my back, her eyes were brown and mine were green, plus I wore glasses and had freckles dusting my the bridge of my nose. It was strange I had never experienced something like this before. It was as if we were twins who'd been separated at birth yet our different environments in which we grew up couldn't change our genetic code which made us look so similar.
But dear reader I think I'm dropping you too far from the point. For you to understand this I need you to first understand where I came from, or at least where I thought I came from. It started the day I turned seventeen. My parents were being unusually cruel. "Why can't I go?" I demanded trying hard not to stomp my foot.
"Because there aren't going to be any chaperones." My mother told me calmly not even looking at me. She was too busy rinsing the Brussels sprouts for dinner. We both knew this wasn't the true reason.
"Naomi will be there! You trust Naomi don't you?" I growled. Naomi was my best friend. A pretty girl with long black hair and blue eyes. She preferred being by herself with her books sometimes hanging out with me. In fact she wouldn't be going to the party if I wasn't dragging her, but that was beside the point, completely beside the point.
"Is Naomi going by choice?" My father asked me barely peering over his newspaper at me. He thought he knew all my tricks. He didn't. I still had a few things I managed to keep from Debra and John Jordan. One of those things was my tablet history full of manga pages.
My parents didn't think that manga was good for me. They thought it was too violent, too many curse words, and too many scantily clad characters. Honestly they were much too strict. I mean there were mangas like Card Captor Sakura which were relatively innocent. Again thought my dear reader I find myself getting sidetracked. My parents' tight reigns which I was unfortunately caught up in is not the main point of this story, it is a big point, maybe even the main point of this chapter of my long story, but not the main point of the whole thing.
"Yes, she's going willingly." I growled back at him. It'd taken some begging, pleading, threatening, and bargaining but yes in a way Naomi was going to the party of her own free will.
"Well Naomi can have a grand old time at a party without chaperones if that's what her grandmother allows. You however have better things to be doing." Debra said as she put the Brussels sprouts in water to boil. Better things? What could be better than going to a party for my seventeenth birthday?
"What better things?" I demanded in disbelief. Did they really think that I had better things to do?
"Your training." John reminded me before turning the page in his paper. I rolled my eyes. My training, gymnastics, or more acrobatics in my opinion, was my choice. The only reason they supported that decision was because it could earn them money if I won enough high end competitions. I didn't care about competitions really, gymnastics was my outlet. It was away to release my anger so I didn't explode on an innocent bystander.
"I've done enough practicing for one day." I grumbled. For four hours straight, from five a.m. to nine. If I went back for a couple of hours before lunch I'd be golden. I'd have enough time to go home, shower, maybe scarf down a meal, and be off to the party.
"Enough to win the competition next Thursday?" Debra chided as she put something in the fridge.
"Missing one practice won't kill me." I growled. Honestly they had to take something fun and turn it into an utter nightmare.
"No, but it'll kill your competitive spirit." Pish, nothing could kill my competitive spirit. If I wanted to win I would win. That's just how I saw things. I was pretty narrow minded when I wanted to be.
"Right." I drawled sarcastically as I plopped into a seat. The Brussels sprouts were done. Debra served them on a plate which she slid in front of me. Guess they weren't for dinner. They were apparently my breakfast, well brunch really. Bleach, don't get me wrong Brussels sprouts are some of my favorite greens, but Debra and John pushed the health thing just a bit too far. I waked over to the fridge and pulled out a jar half filled with cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was promptly poured all over the Brussels sprouts that had been set before me. "Much better." I said brightly as I sat back down. I could just imagine Debra and John rolling their eyes. I didn't care so I didn't bother to check if I was right or not.
"Renee is all that cheese really necessary?" Debra crooned as she sat next to me. Oh yeah sure act all nice when you don't want me to put a whole bunch of "potionally dangerous" cheese all over my sterile and bland as well anything bland Brussels sprouts.
"Yes." I answered simply as I grabbed a fork. I stabbed one Brussels sprouts and moved it around in the cheese before eating it. I had a sudden craving for nachos and chocolate but I squished it down. Nachos weren't allowed in this house and neither was chocolate. Debra and John wanted to keep me on a health kick so I could stay in shape for gymnastics. I finished my Brussels sprouts and placed my plate and fork in the sink. "Thank you Mother, Father." I said formally. Debra and John beamed. They'd yet to figure out when I got real formal I was planning on doing something that would be considered incredibly stupid.
Without seeming as if I was running away I hurried to my room. Once there I shut and locked the door, even shoved a chair under the knob for good measure. No would be getting in my room without my permission tonight. I walked over to my closet and started trying to find me some party clothes. It took me half an hour to decide but finally I found something.
The top was a simple sleeveless white tube top with a black see through attachment to go over my stomach. I paired that with a black mini skirt and simple black sandals. I'd debated about wearing heels, but with my escape plan I couldn't afford to break an ankle just because I wanted to appear taller than I really was. I quickly set about packing my side bag. The side bag was full of things I would never leave the house without. My tablet, some chap-stick, my flash drive, and other odds and ends that were important to me.
For the rest of the day I watched the clock, keeping myself hidden up in my room with my manga. Finally it was six o' clock and time to meet up with Naomi. I slid my window open and made sure my bag couldn't open by itself before slipping out to the tree just outside my window.
When I was younger I had a fascination with climbing trees. So Debra and John had cut off the lower branches of the tree. Unfortunately for them they didn't count on my gymnastic skills. I held onto the branch and started swinging my body back and forth. All I had to do was think of the tree as a set of uneven bars and then preform at least a decent dismount. I swung from branch to branch before heading for the ground. "And she sticks the landing." I muttered with a grin.
"Hurry up Ren." Naomi hissed from her car. It was a slim sports car. Naomi's specialty, speed. I grinned.
"Alright alright. I'm coming Naomi my dear." I answered walking towards her. Once I got into the car Naomi sped off. "So why were you waitin' by the curb?" I asked as we drove to the party.
"Figured they wouldn't let you out and you'd only whine if I didn't wait for you." Naomi replied. I rolled my eyes.
"Think whatever you will Naomi." I told her. Within fifteen minutes we were at the party.