By: Caitlyn Hamilton
CHAPTER ONE: MEET KYRA
I stepped from the shower, leaving a small puddle, and wrapped a towel around my slim form. I had to stand on a stepladder to see myself in the mirror and silently cursed my shortness.
Why am I so short? I thought to myself, angry, Why can't I be like Angeline? Angeline is my tall, blond, pretty and popular older sister. I'm short, dark-haired, plain and un-popular. Angeline is a cheerleader, I play soccer. Angeline gets A's, I get B's. Angeline was funny, friendly and outgoing. I'm the farthest thing from funny, like to keep to myself, and rarely smile. Angeline practically has a grin glued on her face. Secretly, and wild horses couldn't even drag this out of me, I hate my older sister for being so... perfect. But I hide my pain behind hugs and false laughter. My name is Kyra, and this is my story.
Zoning back to reality, I realized I had left a large puddle on the floor around me and I sighed, drying myself off. After pulling on my pajamas, a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, I grabbed a brush and yanked it through my shoulder-length, perfectly straight hair, which somehow manages to have tangles anyway. Then I brushed my teeth, just like every morning and night, and went upstairs to my room.
The walls are a light purple color, with a soft, darker violet carpet covering the floor. My bed is pushed against the far wall, the bed-covers a dark purple with matching pillows, and my desk, mahogany, is against the east wall, covered in papers, folders, pencils and crayons, and my digital camera. I'm an artist/writer/photographer. Walking to my closet, I picked out a red tank-top, a jean jacket, and a pleated black skirt to wear the next day. I left my room and went down to the living room to find my book bag and finish my pre-algebra homework.
After finding my homework, I finished it in my room and turned on my flat-screen TV. Naruto was on.
"Hey, Naruto's on!" My cousin Kohaku yelled, bursting into my room. Kohaku was spending the night like he usually does on Friday.
"Yup," I scooted over on the bed and he leaped up, landing next to me.
"What would happen if we were in the Naruto world?" Kohaku wondered aloud. He's only a year younger than me, but sometimes I'm almost certain he's two at heart.
"Honestly?" He nodded. "I have no idea. But who do you think would be your best friend?"
"ROCK LEE!" He yelled triumphantly. "What about you?"
"Temari." I said automatically. As if on cue, my idol came on the screen. She turned to look at the camera – I'd seen this episode a billion times; she was about to attack Tayuya – and oddly enough, her eyes widened. What? That wasn't supposed to happen.
"Sh- Shikamaru!" Temari stammered out.
"Kohaku?" I nearly whispered. "What's happening?"
"I don't know, Kyra."
Suddenly I got an alarming sense of vertigo and my head was spinning. I felt myself pulling forward and grabbed Kohaku's arm in fear. Last thing I saw before a massive headache put me out was a swirling vortex of colors… which we were heading straight for.
