My name is Elle Mason I grew up in Ikebukuro, Japan. My parents were both American but moved to Japan when I was born. They never explained why just that there were some family problems. Being American I was different from others the most prominent feature is probably my blond curly hair, natural of course. The second thing I'd say is different about me is my eyes. They are strange even for Americans. My eyes are both a vivid purple color. Once again my parents never really explained about that.

I lived in Japan till I was fourteen. Then one day my grandparents showed up and demanded that I come live with them. At the time my parents were both… away so I was living with my friend, Haru Mizuumi. Haru has dark black hair that can look blue in some lights, styled in a crew cut, his eyes are hazel. He had long since run away from his family and offered to let me stay with him till I could find a cheap apartment or something. Haru was a great friend, and I soon came to consider him a brother.

Unfortunately when my grandparents came to collect me Haru was out. He must hate me right now. Well at least I was able to keep contact with my other two friends, Kaori, and Reika, via chat rooms. Kaori and Reika both have black hair but Reika's hair is straight and much longer. It easily passes her waist, she also has green eyes. While Kaori's hair is wavy and cut to just barely pass her shoulders, her eyes are brown. Anyway the three of us we able to talk when I moved back to America with chat rooms. I had asked if they could explain to Haru why I left so suddenly and Kaori agreed.

Now I'm finally going back. Of course if my grandparents knew they'd freak. So… I'm sneaking out. Yeah that's right, I'm running away. I've already contacted Kaori and Reika and I've transferred all of my money into a different account, neither of my grandparents are good with technology so they won't notice until I'm already gone. Tonight, after my grandparents are asleep, I'm going to sneak out my window walk a few blocks away from our house to a 7 Eleven where I told a cab to wait for me, have him drive me to the airport and be on my way back to Japan, back to Ikebukuro, back to my friends, back home…

Kaori's perspective~

Damn it. Damn it all! Today is the day I'm supposed to pick up Elle at the airport but wouldn't you know it my boss called and demanded I come in to work for someone else who skipped off on their shift. Reika can't pick her up because she has guitar lessons or something! Geez either I find someone to pick her up or Elle's going to be stuck at the airport until either Reika or myself can go get her. I heard the door bell jiggle signaling that a customer had just walked in. "Welcome!" I turned to face none other than the three amigos, Mikado, Anri and... Masaomi? I thought he ran away with that Saki girl or whatever.

"Hey what are you doing back in town?" I asked to the blonde boy.

He rubbed the back of his head slightly. "Well me and Saki-"

"Saki and I," I corrected him. Here's the thing I'm not all that smart in most subjects, in fact the only one I pass without tutoring is English. I'm more of the tomboy in our little group. But whenever I got the chance to correct Masaomi I jump on it mostly because He gets this agitated look on his face.

Masaomi scrunched up his nose and pouted at me. I just shrugged my shoulders. "Saki and I had a little fight so we figured time apart would be good. Mikado told me how things calmed down and there was no longer a death threat on me so I figured I'd come back!"

I laughed lightly figuring it was something like that. Masaomi just pouted more, as their little group moved to a table at the restaurant I work in. Just then The World is Mine started playing. It's my ringtone so I quickly picked up my phone and looked at the caller ID. Oh thank god it was Reika! I quickly flipped it open and pressed it to my ear. "Hey you done with lessons?"

"Not quite… My mom's parked in the lot to pick me up and if I ask her to go to the airport I just know she'll tell on Elle!" I face palmed at that which caused several people to look over including Masaomi, Mikado, and Anri.

"Well my boss is acting like a total slave driver so I can't pick her up!" I quietly shouted back to her.

"I guess she's just going to wait for you to finish work then…" Reika said trying to calm me down.

"I still have hours to work! She's going to be waiting there forever! Not to mention she'll probably kill us!" I said back.

"Oh come on you know Elle isn't that kind of person…" I sighed and ran a hand through my black wavy hair.

"Yeah I know. I just feel awful. This is the one thing she asked us to do and we can't even go pick her up!" I said as I calmed down.

"Yeah… We will apologize to her later Kay? I have to go now my mom's starting to get suspicious…" I nodded my head sullenly.

"Kay, Talk to you later…" I said as I flipped the phone shut. I sighed and slipped in back in my pocket.

"What was that all about?" Someone asked from behind me. I turned to see Mikado, Masaomi, and Anri again.

"Nothing really, just an old friend is coming back to Japan from America and neither Reika nor I can pick her up…" I said quietly.

"I'll do it!" Masaomi said raising his hand high like a two year old.

"Really?" I asked stunned. "She left for America before graduating middle school so you won't know her or anything…"

"Perfect! That means she also won't know about all that gang stuff that happened last year and all!" Masaomi said looking energetic.

I groaned figuring out what he was planning. "You're not going just to hit on her right?" I asked him.

He smirked lopsidedly. "Maybe I am. But the way I see it. It's either me or she's going to be waiting till you get off from work to pick her up. And that just doesn't seem right. After all this is Ikebukuro!" I sighed again but he did have a point. Lots of gangs and stuff come out at night and I'd rather have Masaomi pick her up and maybe hit on her than the gangs find her and do something nasty to her.

"Alright fine, here," I said grabbing a piece of paper and scribbled Elle Mason on it. "That's her name, and she should be arriving around 7:30. Oh! Also she's been on the plane for a while so pick her up something to eat. You know how bad airplane food is…"

Masaomi smirked and snagged the paper from my hands. "No worries I can handle it!" And just like that he was out the door.

After he was gone I turned to Mikado and Anri. "I did the right thing. Right?"

They both exchanged glances the shrugged to me. I sighed heavily already worrying about what might happen. This was going to be a long shift…