Well, this is a new story with Natalie in it. I hope at least one person enjoys this story. Here it is, Back, and the Same!
"So, how was your vacation?" I asked my best friends as we walked to their house. It was the beginning of our last year in high school, and we just had our first vacation of the school year. They don't know it, but I just wandered around the forest near school. I don't have a home. I live in my school locker. That may sound weird to you, but it's actually sort of nice.
Before I continue with this story, I should tell you, I am a shape shifter. I can change forms when ever I want to, and I don't have any home. I have a part time job, but that is only enough to pay for school, and food. I lock my locker after putting everything inside of it, go inside to do my homework, and then I go to sleep. I don't really have any friends, just three. I have white hair, and most people make fun of me for that. But not my friends. One of them has silver hair. His name is Ayame, and he has two cousins, Hatori, and Shigure. They are my only friends. We spend a lot of tome together. So much in fact, that we have nick names for each other, Ayame is Aya, Hatori is Tori, Shigure is Gure, and I am Nat. Back to the story.
"Well," started Hatori, "We stayed at the Some estate, and that was about it. What about you Natalie?"
"Tori!," shouted Ayame, "You know it's fine to call her Nat, right Gure?"
"Right you are Aya. What did you do Nat?" said Shigure.
"Me? I stayed home. I don't really have any one to spend breaks with." I replied.
"Nat, You are taking us to your home today!" We all stopped, and looked at Ayame, who had just said the one thing I hoped no one would ever ask me.
"Well, The house is a mess, and I don't really have that have that much time, considering my job."
"Natalie, how come you have always come to our house, but you never let us come to yours, and why do you need a part time job? Can't your parents give you the money from working around the house?" Hatori asked.
"Well, my parents aren't that sociable, so I don't think they would let you come," I replied, maybe a little to quickly.
"Speaking of your parents," said Shigure, "Why don't you ever talk about them?"
"Well, there isn't much to say. They aren't around very often, and I don't talk to them."
"Natalie," said Ayame grabbing my arm, "You are taking us to your house right now. I don't care what your parents say, but we have a right to go as your only friends." I started to pull away from Ayame.
"I'm sorry but I can't- WOW!" I said. I pulled so hard, that we started to fall to the ground. The way we were falling, He would land on top of me, and I know he would use that to make me take them to my nonexistent home. As we fell, I could see terror in all of their eyes. When we finally hit the ground, Ayame and I was covered in a cloud of smoke that I was all to used to. It was the smoke I see when I change shape.
As the smoke cleared, Shigure and Hatori were surprised to see Ayame lying on the floor. He quickly got up, and to their astonishment, I was lying on the ground, surrounded by my clothes, as a snake. I got out of my clothes, and looked up at them.
"Well, this is a first," I said, staring up at them.
"Natalie, you are a snake!" shouted Ayame, who had reached out his arm towards me. I slithered up, and around his neck loosely, looking at the other two.
"I'm sorry. This is the first time I ever did something like this. I had hoped you wouldn't find out about this. I'm sorry, but I need to go," I replied. I shot off of Ayame, and slithered quickly over to my clothes. I changed back to my white haired self, got dressed very quickly, and grabbed my school bag. Once the smoke cleared, I was off. I could hear the boys running after me, but I wouldn't slow down.
I heard a bark from behind me. I took a quick glance behind me, and saw a dog almost a foot away, running faster than me by far. I saw Ayame and Hatori way behind me and the dog holding Shigure's bag and clothes, but not Shigure. I didn't get the chance to wonder where he was, when the dog suddenly jumped on me, making me fall on my face. I tried to flip around, but I couldn't with the dog sitting on my back. I did the only thing I could think to do, I changed into a bigger animal. I changed into a wolf, and easily pushed the dog off me. I grabbed my bag in my mouth, and ran off. After a little while, I changed back into a human, clothes and all, and looked behind me.
What I saw surprised me. I saw the dog covered in the smoke I always have when I change. When the smoke cleared, there was Shigure, putting on the last article of clothing he was wearing earlier, while Ayame and Hatori were panting on the floor, having run for a long distance fairly quickly. Shigure ran up to me when he straightened out his clothes. I just stood there in shock. I couldn't believe that Shigure can change into a dog. Is he like me?
Shigure ran up to me and grabbed me by the arm. He looked slightly out of breath as he stared wide eyed at me. "Natalie, you need to come with us to our home. We need to talk about this," said Shigure.
"I agree," I replied. Ayame and Hatori walked over to Shigure and I, looking still out of breath.
"Next time you start running away, give us a notice please. It would help a lot," said Ayame, falling on Hatori who just side stepped, letting him fall on the ground. I grabbed Ayame's arm, and pulled him to his feet. I smiled at his tired face.
"That would be besides the point Aya," I said smiling. Ayame looked surprised, but soon smiled at my care free smile he had come to know and love.
"Excuse me, but we really need to talk about this. Natalie, is your home closer then ours?" said Hatori. All eyes were on me as I looked at the ground.
"How far away from the school are we?" I asked the ground.
"We are a third of the way home. Are we closer to your home, or ours?" said Hatori. I looked up at him, tears almost about to come out.
"Yes, but you can't go to my house," I said, my voice quivering. Hatori could hear my plea, and decided that we would go to their house.
We were silent all the way to their house. Once we got there, we went to Ayame's room. Hatori sat on the chair next to the bed, occupied by Ayame and Shigure, while I sat on the floor.
"Well," started Hatori, "would anyone like to retell today's events?" I raised my hand, and Hatori looked at me funny, but nodded anyway.
"Well, we were all walking here when Ayame fell on me, and I turned into a snake." I said.
"Stop there for now. Ayame, I think you should explain this part," Hatori said to Ayame. Ayame nodded, and looked at me.
"Natalie, the Sohma family is cursed. For some of us, what ever year we were born in, we are possessed by the Chinese Zodiac animal of that year. I was born the year of the snake, Hatori was born the year of the dragon, and Shigure was born the year of the dog. If any of us are hugged by someone of the opposite gender, in our case, a girl, then we turn into that animal. since I landed on you, I should have changed, but I didn't. Instead, you did," said Ayame. I stared wide eyed at him.
"I've met demons, grim reapers, and lord death himself, but I have never met someone cursed before," I said under my breath.
"You've met WHO?" shouted Shigure.
"Never mind that. I think I know what happened," I said.
"What happened then?" asked Hatori.
"I am a shape shifter. Maybe that reversed the curse, and made me change instead of you. That would make sense. That does make sense, right?" I said, looking at Hatori.
"You are a shape shifter? That could explain why this happened." Hatori said, mumbling to himself. "Since we know about you, and you know about us, I think we are done in that subject."
"No!" shouted Ayame, "How did this happen to you Natalie?"
"You don't want to hear my story. It's boring, and no one wants to hear it," I said.
"Well I do. How about you Shigure?" said Ayame.
"I do want to hear this story," said Shigure.
"Maybe later," said Hatori, "There is one more question unanswered. Natalie, where do you live?" All three boys were looking at me now. I looked down at the floor, and started playing with the end of my skirt.
"I don't have a home," I said.
"WHAT?" shouted Ayame, "Where have you been living?"
"In my locker," I said in barely a whisper.
"How do you do that?" asked Hatori.
"I just put all my things in my locker, lock it, then go inside and sleep. I have a small pillow in there that I sleep on. It's quite comfortable," I said reassuringly.
"Not any more you don't," said Ayame, "You are going to stay here with us."
"For once, Aya has a point," said Shigure.
"Where will Natalie stay though?" asked Hatori.
"She can stay here in my room," said Ayame.
"Oh, there's no need. I can just stay in my locker. Some times I stay at a random person's house as a stray cat. I'll be fine," I said.
"No," Ayame said with an authority that made most remember that he was student body president, "You will stay here. You can sleep as a cat, but you are staying here." I stared shocked at my friends. They all had a look that said that they would not take no for an answer.
I started to cry. "Thanks you guys. This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in quite a while," I said, trying to suppress my tears of joy. Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure sat there, smiling down at me, happy that I will be with them.
Thanks for reading this if you did. I hope this was good enough for all of you who read this. I haven't finished the series, but I am almost halfway done. I hope I stay true to the characters through out the story. I plan on having one more chapter with the Sohma boys in high school. After that,Natalie will be in the beginning of the manga. It will make sense when you read it, I hope. Hope to see you next chapter!