Chapter 1

My life has always been like I was falling, as I get further and further away from life; I welcome death. I'm not afraid of dying; I know from experience that living is so much more frightening. I fall and the blood leaves the gashes that never leave my body, kept there like a tattoo, as a reminder, and my broken wings float beside me, the feathers caressing my broken and tattered soul.

It's over.

As I reach the bottom I close my purple eyes, waiting for the impact of the cold, dark floo-

I jerked up in by bed, sweat streamed down my face, goose bumps covered my arms, and my face somehow blended in with the white wallpaper. J-just a d-dream… The thought sunk in as I stood up, not being a morning person I stumbled, but I was used to it. My arms shook slightly as I put a slice of bread into the toaster. I looked up at my cute kitty clock and noticed that I had woken up early again, 3 hours too early. Should I go back to bed? No, that would just result in more nightmares.

I'm Namii, Namii kuroboshi, since both my parents passed when I was five I have been living alone in this apartment for 12 years, I wouldn't say it's been the easiest place to live in… but I've made it work, The nightmares come and they go, but it's ok; I have amazing friends, I go to an ok school… Life's alright.

I stepped through the big iron gates that surrounded my school, my short blue skirt swayed from side to side in the winter breeze. My long black hair was tied back in a neat pony tail, and my back pack slung over my shoulders.

"Yo Namii," A girl with dirty blonde, shoulder length hair waved at me. Arisa Uotani, Ex-Yankee and one of my best friends. She is very tall, taller than some of the boys in fact, she is loud and sometimes has just a few anger management issues, but she is amazing, always sticking up for me.

"Shall we make are way to class then?" The girl next to her, my other best friend; hana-chan, had black wavy hair, that at times hid her face and gave her that mysterious and evil appearance. Hana can sense 'waves' as she puts it, it's kind of like the way people feel or the amount of mystery and sadness surrounding their heart I guess, like Uo, Hana always looked out for me.

"Ok I have graded last week's papers, and I am happy that at least one person listened to me and managed to get full marks on the test, Well done Namii." The teacher stood at the top of the class, holding the test papers I cared so little about. Seriously all these teachers care about is how good you do on your tests, it's all for their stupid reputation. I look around the stuffy classroom; Hana and Uo are sitting next to me, they smiled in congratulations as uo crumpled up her paper, and hana just acted like she didn't know it was there. Then in the corner are the ones who are never around to take the test, with their weird coloured hair and piercings they never talk to anyone out of there 'gang' unless it's to put a 'curse' on you, then at the back, leaning against the walls are the so called 'jocks' who make out they are all that because they are in the team; but to be honest I don't thing sitting on the bench winking at girls in the crowd makes you part of the team. In front of them are the yuki fan club girls, all giggly and squeaky; they give me a headache, and guess who is sitting right next to them... yes you got it the one and only Yuki Sohma, they are sitting there staring at him adoringly, leaning forward slightly in case there is a 'fly in his hair' which would allow them to stroke it if only a second. In the front you can see all the geeks/ nerds who are almost begging to see their results, but they will never get in the top three, and if by chance, one does that person would be called a geek and a nerd, which is kind of stupid if you ask me…

"Umm…?" I heard a voice from in front of me, looking up sat Yuki sohma, his face blank, now before you judge I do not like Yuki like that… It's just you can't help but get a little flustered when your with him. You see there is a reason why people call Yuki the Prince of Kawiia high; Yuki has silver hair, greyish purple eyes, and feminine like features that make him look very handsome. Ok I know what you're thinking; I seriously don't like him like that… I don't know why but, it feels like he's suffering… Don't ask…

"So Namii what are you having for lunch?" Uo asked me as she pulled out her store bought dinner, hana had a small black box filled with little meals her mother had prepared for her. I myself had a bag filled with a drink and my dinner.

"Cookies," I smiled offering her one.

"Seriously Namii, the only thing you're able to cook is cookies…" Uo complained, despite the fact she had taken two. It wasn't that I couldn't cook; it's just that I had never really tried to cook anything else.

"I think Namii's cookies are exquisite, what does bother me though is the strange electric signals coming from that boy… Yuki Sohma…" Hana said; her dark and mysterious voice made it sound more interesting than it probably was.

"What do you mean?" I was the one who asked.

"I don't know... there is just something about him that is weird, like he has some sort of secret…" Some sort of secret…?

It was late, I had stayed behind after helping clean up the class; cleaning was the only thing I could do, the wind was light but I could feel it on my face, the street was empty and it was calm. I couldn't help but remember what Hana said earlier; 'he has some sort of secret.' But don't we all? I mean I have one… well it's not much of a secret, but I'm a witch, a powerless witch, might I add. Since I was young I told myself I wouldn't use my powers, as a result they simply vanished. I'm sure you're familiar with the old folk tale; you know the one of the Chinese zodiac? Well there was an extra part of that story that was never told. During the banquet that the cat missed, a phoenix sat high in the trees watching. The phoenix was never invited; she was treated like a myth, like she didn't exist. God hated the phoenix, believed that her soul was dark and warped; out to get the rest of the animals, so to keep her away, he turned all 13 of the animals, including the cat, on her. Since then the phoenix has always been forgotten, not worthy of the tale I suppose…

Well that's me, in my blood runs the blood of the phoenix, and it's true I suppose; I'm not always remembered. I tend to keep a low profile, try not to get noticed… well I say try…

"Kuroboshi-san is that you?" I heard a familiar male voice come from behind me. Turning round I saw the famous Prince of my school attempting to catch up with me. I simply nod and he smiles, he seemed out of breath, and as he smiled I knew, that it wasn't his true smile. "What a surprise to run into you like this." He is so polite it's strange, his whole personality and composure, it's so… formal.

"Yes, it is a surprise." I wasn't one for long replies.

"Did I congratulate you for your test results today?" He asked, his breath evening out and he had finally started to walk at a slightly faster pace. Yuki was incredibly smart, although, he always came in second. The Yuki fan club girls always hated me for it…

"Yes, and well done to you to." I simply smiled, only turning my head slightly. Why does he have this affect on me? I don't usually go beetroot if I look a guy in the eyes.

"Why thank you Kuroboshi-san, although I'm not worthy of your praise… is there any classes you aren't at the top at?" I thought for a second and a grin formed on my pink face.

"Sports," I said simply. We both laughed for a few seconds before immersing ourselves into more polite conversation. It was true though, Sports is what I call living hell, I'm terrible at them… Uo tends to skip and people know not to pass to Hana, but when people heard that I was an extremely fast runner they immediately assumed I was good at sports… foolish, foolish people.

"Kuroboshi-san is everything ok?" I'd stopped in the middle of the street…. What's that smell? It puzzled me for a while then I caught on. Smoke. Could it be? No! I ran almost abandoning my bag in the street, it can't be… I'd only realised that I'd left without saying anything to Yuki when I heard him call after me. "Kuroboshi-san wait up!" He yelled, quicker than I was he kept pace with me easily… until we got there.

The flickering glow of orange and red light, the piercing heat that emitted off the top of the building… a huge tower of apartments was being smothered by huge flames. It was worse at the top, as the black cloud of smoke was released into the air… my apartment! Fire engines and police cars surrounded the building, sirens going off and the many different noises made my head hurt, and the crowds of my neighbours didn't help at all.

I could feel myself becoming dizzy, the overwhelming mass of smoke and the shock of it all was taking over me. I couldn't turn my head away was the flames that flickered in the air and out the windows…

My home.