I was just a girl living. I was just… there. I had no purpose. Or at least none that I could see. You see, my father left my mother when we were young and went to his homeland of Germany. But my mom, who is Italian-American, stayed with me in New Jersey. I always wanted to go to Italy, but Mom wants me to stay here and get a good job.

When I came home from school, I decided to work on a project I had to do for my senior year of high school. I got picked to do an essay on the Second World War (Everyone got a different one so none of us would cheat.) I really didn't know what to write about. Maybe the Axis Powers…? They were important, right? Or the Holocaust. That was very important.

"Hey, Mom?" I said as she walked in from work. "Can you please help me with my project?"

She gave me a sour look and brushed her dark hair behind an ear. She eyed my long blond hair. I had dark tan Italian skin, but my hair was lighter than my skin. I also had dark blue eyes. I looked more German on the outside, but on the inside, I was very shy and quiet. Nothing like my father.

"Can't do it yourself?" she grunted. "Do I look like an expert on wars to you?"

BTW, my mom hates me.

"I just need ideas for what to write about…" I said. Mom gave me an evil glare and jerked her head upwards. That was Mom talk for "get upstairs." I sighed and ran up to my room. It was obvious I wasn't wanted.

I kicked my sneakers off onto the red carpet and fell backwards onto my cobalt comforter. My room was the only place where I could be alone. No one could bother me here. I clutched the necklace around my neck. It had a glittering silver key hanging from it. Dad gave it to me before he left. It was my prized possession.

I didn't bother changing out of my navy jacket and pleated skirt to feel more comfortable. Nothing mattered anymore. I was losing my will to live. Why was I alive? I didn't know.

"Please," I whispered to my key. "I just want to be somewhere where someone, anyone, will understand me."

I suddenly felt tired. It was a hard day at school. I decided to get some shut eye. Just for a minute…

Wait. What was that? That light? I felt like my head was spinning. That brightness felt so warm and welcoming. It covered my vision. I reached out to grab it, but it faded away.

But that didn't matter anymore. I wasn't in my room! And more importantly, I was in someone else's bed! And even MORE importantly, there was another guy in it!

"KYAAAAA!" I shrieked. The man instantly scratched his head, signaling he was awake. (But his eyes were still closed…) He wore a purple undershirt and darker purple shorts.

"Huh?" he said groggily. "Who're you?" I sat up in surprise and looked around.

"You answer first!" I forced myself to say.

"Me?" he said. "I'm Italy."

"Italy?" I cocked my head. "That's your name?"

"Yeah…" The man looked very tired. I turned to his window. It was still pitch black outside.

"Um, did I wake you?" I asked nervously.

"Eh… yeah," Italy muttered.

"WOULD YOU STOP TALKING TO YOURSELF?!" I jumped and slid towards Italy. I was next to another lump under the blankets.

"I'm not talking to myself," Italy said rubbing his eye. "There's someone else here."

I threw the covers off the lump to reveal a man, obviously Italian. He looked just as scared as me as I was of him.

"What were you doing to this girl?" he yelled at Italy. "You'd better not have been doing it while I was in here with you!"

"We weren't doing anything like that!" I shouted.

"Italy!? What's going on in here?!" A blond man in clothes like Italy's burst through the door. He gave me a quick glance and then glared at Italy and the other Italian.

"I let you stay at my house for the night and you invite girls in?"

"We weren't doing that!" I yanked a pillow out from under the Italian and threw it at the blond guy. He simply blocked it with his hand.

"Did they drag you in here?" the blond man asked. "Seriously, you two need to get over your obsession with women."

"Says the beer addict, potato bast-" I smothered the Italian with another pillow.

"Please tell me what's going on!" I whined. "Where am I?"

"You don't even know where you are?" the Italian asked me with a tone different from what he used with the others. "You… sadly… are in Germany."

"GERMANY?!" I screamed. I held him by the shoulders and shook him. "I can't be here! I'm American!"

"Oh," the men simply said in somewhat disappointment.

"Explain yourselves!" I said. "Who are you?!"

"I am Germany," the blond man said.

"I'm Romano," the Italian said.

"Who're you?" Italy asked. "Are you a country too?"

"I doubt it," Germany said. "I've never seen her at the World Meetings."

"I would've noticed her," Romano said.

"So… You're countries?" I gasped.

"Sì, qualunque," Romano grunted. "But who are YOU?"

"M-Me?" I stuttered. "I'm Bella."