Prologue

When she was a little girl she had heard stories about ghouls. They were man eaters, monsters that hide under the bed waiting for the perfect moment to drag her under. They hide in the dark corner making her freeze under her pink bed spread and stay up all night watching just to make sure the shadows wouldn't move. When she got older they became just scary stories, never forgotten, but never relevant to her. She never thought she would ever meet one. They were so far away from her, intangible to her life. Something she didn't have to worry about in her cookie cutter life.

When she was five her older brother Yuuichi told her that ghouls' favorite hiding spots were in little girls' rooms waiting to devour them as they sleep. For a week, for seven full days, she would lay in bed staring at the dark corner of her room, where the shadows liked to move and make very similar humanoid shapes. She was waiting for when a man with glowing red and black eyes would come out and eat her. Then the sun started to shine and the morning light over took the darkness was when she fell asleep only to be woken up 2 hours later for school. Her mother grounded Yuuichi for a month for afterwards, finally noticing the dark bag under eyes after her father commented that she looked like she had two black eyes.

When she was eleven her little cousin came to live with her family, and Yuuichi had to share his room with him and in a fit of rage locked her cousin, and on accident, her outside all night. Their mother stayed the whole night out, a work party, didn't come home until the next night, calling to say she was spending the night with a co-worker. She remembered sitting in front of the door next to Ken and crying, waiting for a monster to come and eat her. To tear the flesh and skin off her bones and pick his teeth with her little finger. She had flinched at every little noise that night. When the morning light hit her toes the next morning she felt so relieved that she started to cry again. She told herself she was lucky to be alive.

The next day right after school she stopped in front of a department store marveling at the display of charms in the window. All shapes and sizes, some for good fortune and others for love. But what caught her eyes was a little maneki neko hanging from a silver chain. She went in and bought it, spending her months allowance on it. A memento to always remember how lucky she was.

When she was twelve a kid in her class went missing. He was a horrible boy. He was the first kid to start bullying her about her hair when she started primary school. Her blonde locks stuck out like a sore thumb in a class filled with the naturally dark colored hair. He would lead around five or so other children and start spitting out insults, curling his dirty face in a snarl. His charisma got the others in his group to start pulling at the poor pale strands. When the whole class to start making smart comments, was when the teacher wrote home about needing to dye her hair a more natural color. Then that horrible boy cut a chunk off in the middle of class, and she had to have her long hair cut to her ears. She cried so hard her father felt so bad and called the school refusing to dye it black.

That ugly boy also lived in her apartment complex. Two floors down right next to the elevator. The teacher told the men in white cloaks that he left school and that was when she last saw him. He never made it home. All they found was his book bag two blocks from their apartment complex. She bought another charm on her way home, the tiny pair of scissors joined her cat on her book bag buckle.

Since then no one made fun of her hair and she got to grow it out finally, it reached passed her waist when she got out of middle school. She never did remember that horrible boy's name.

When she was thirteen she watched her father walk out on her. She was daddy's little girl down to her bones. She would come to him for help with her homework troubles or when she needed to cry. He read to her every night even now when she was technically a "woman". She bought her a new dress every week and shoes to match. He covered her fingers in real silver and gold. It made up for the missed birthdays and holidays when he couldn't make it home or had to be in a meeting at work.

She remembered her parents screaming at each other. She had just got home,Yuuichi was still at his supplementary classes and Ken with Hideyoshi leaving her out like always, selfish. Her father was yelling about her mother being a whore and a cheater, while her mother accused her father of not caring enough. She heard them come stomping down the hall, and had ducked into the bathroom to watch her father storm out of the apartment with a suitcase. A little piece of herself broke then. The person she loved the most in the world left her, not caring what happened to her.

Now the presents he sends to her, she hides in the back of her closet or sells them at school for some extra allowance money. When she is sent to America to spend the summer with him, she smiles and hides her hurt away. Enjoying her grandparents spoiling her with gifts and treats and being away from Yuuichi.

When she was fifteen she found the most amazing coffee house. She walked in and she felt at home right away. The smell of fresh brewed coffee, it reminded her of when her father lived with them and always had a pot of coffee being made. The afternoon sun made it seem like heaven on earth giving everything a golden glow. What really stood out to her was the light blonde haired man, maybe ten years older than her serving coffee to her the whole time. His face was set in a cold mask his eyes stones as he politely asked if she would like another cup. He reminded her of her father before he left them, always hiding what he felt from her so she wouldn't wonder why her parents were fighting. It was almost sad that he looked so sudden and devastated at just a young age.

So after she finished her first cup of coffee, she looked up at him, "It was watery." The annoyed look on his face was enough to make her giggle as she asked for another cup. This time it was so strong she almost spat it back in her cup. When she left after almost dying from the man's attempts as getting her coffee right, she had finished all her homework and had to leave because it was closing time. She left him a bright pink neon sticky note in her place written in her best handwriting, "If you smiled you won't look so old."

When she was sixteen her favorite coffee server, she learned his name was Yomo Renji, was not serving her. A young girl a little younger than her by at least a year was in front of her instead of Renji. After coming to Anteiku for the past year, spending at least two days a week until closing, she had learned everyone's name. Yoshimura the Manager, Renji her server, Irimi the Silent Stalker, and Koma the Goofball.

She sat in her usual spot, the exact middle of the bar, wearing her new black high heels, a jean skirt,and her favorite oversized cashmere cream sweater, all thanks to her father getting her a credit card to make him feel better about himself. She may have intimidated the girl with her wild hair restrained in a high ponytail with little wisps of hair flying everywhere and her blue eyes squinting at her,but she was beyond caring. Probably not the best introduction she has done.

"Who the hell are you?" She huffed at the younger girl,crossing her arms over her chest. Irimi and Koma, who were peeking out behind the staff only door, jump at how deep and cold her voice came out.

"Kirishima Touka, I'll be your server today." The girl pulled the corner of her lips up trying to give a strained smile. It failed, horribly.

That day she gave Kirishima Touka the worst first day of work in the history of work days. She spilled three cups, cracked one and completely demolished another. She commented on every single thing she did wrong on making her drinks and criticized everything she did, down to how she was wiping down tables. She was surprised Yoshimura didn't ask her to leave, but then again she's probably spent a small fortune at the place. Hell, she might even call herself a permanent patron. Fifteen minutes before closing Renji came through the doors in a big black cloak that covered him from his nose to below his knees, his eyes strained like he had a mild headache.

"Renji!" She clapped her hands together, "I've waited all night!" Yoshimura called him and made it part of Renji's job description to deal with her.

When she was seventeen she saw Renji on the street walking with a goth. She didn't know who the hell the man was, but he looked like a delinquent. Part of his head was shaved and the rest of his black hair was pulled back in a half-assed bun. He had a black jacket half on, the top falling off his shoulders, harem pants on and sandals. His eyes were covered with thick sunglasses, at night, a piercing next to his eyebrow and all up and down his ear,of course she did the only thing she could do, stop Renji from getting sucked into whatever gang this guy was from. She read articles about this kind of thing, and Renji was a prime victim for gangs to take advantage. He was so easy to sway!

"YOMO RENJI!" She screamed, making them both and the other ten people on the street turn towards her like she lost her mind. She started to stride towards them her black pumps clicking. Her long sweater flying behind her as she stopped herself from running up to him.

"Old girlfriend?" Sunglasses man asked,his hands going to his pants pockets.

"Hell no!" Renji snapped at him,losing his cool composer for once. She swung her purse at the gang member, aiming for his head and to make him go away. Far away. The man made a noise before ducking so it hit Renji in the arm. The impact only made a small sound similar to a small puff of air and her good luck charms clinking together. She had very weak upper body strength.

"Back away!" She shouted, putting herself between Renji and the unknown man. "Renji doesn't want to join your gang!"

That night was the first time she heard Renji laugh. It was a small sound, but it was enough to make her heart sore. That might have been when she realized she had a small crush on him. SMALL. His eyes lit up and his face wasn't cold anymore more. He had a boyish look about him then at that moment. That was the night she met Uta, Renji's childhood friend. She treated them both to coffee at Anteiku to apologize, terrorizing Koma their server for the evening.

"I think you made him cry." Uta said as he sipped his coffee as he watched Koma remake her coffee.

"She does that." Renji grunted, making her smack him on the back of his head. "Damnit Misaki!"

That was her life. Well before she she fell head over heels and became that girl who mooned over her man. Before she learned what she wasn't seeing underneath all the laughter and joy. The blood that is split everyday and the hardships that she was blind to. What was really going on. She doesn't regret it, no she's happy she finally got to see what everyone else was seeing and she wasn't. She wouldn't have met him if she hadn't.

And it all started a month after her eighteenth birthday, the day she knew that ghouls were something she had to worry about.

Thank you for reading. Please review. If there is a spelling problem or grammar needs changed tell me! :) This is not a one shot it's hopefully going to be a long story.

-Leo