Chapter One
When one door closes
Another always opens
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us
What we have done for others, and the world, remains with us and is immortal
_Albert Pike
OoOoOoOo
The stars glittered like diamonds on the water, turning the placid, glassy surface into silver. I stared quietly into the depths, looking for some explanation, just a simple sign, anything would do. All I wanted was a reason for my father leaving, stranding me with my already mentally unsound mother.
A silvery tear slid down my face and splashed into the dark water, leaving ripples in its wake. I crumpled into a heap on the riverbank, rocking back and forth and crying like a baby. I had never felt so alone.
It was the worse kind of agony, knowing that he was gone, but not knowing why. Not knowing if he would show up at the front door again, flowers in hand, and a big sheepish grin on his face. I had to relive my disappointment every night.
The weeks faded into months, which in turn faded into years. The raw, burning pain ebbed into a dull ache, and I grew from an awkward Middle Schooler into an awkward High Schooler.
I watched as my mother changed too, she went from a fragile wreck of a woman, into an adventurous, flighty one, that acted more like a teenager than an adult with a fifteen year old daughter. I watched as man after man came into our life and left with out even saying good bye.
I expected the same outcome when my mother came home with Hiroto Hyuga. But as I watched the two of them, I realized that they were falling in love, and that there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Hiroto Hyuga had been my mother's best friend's husband, and when Mom's best friend died, it left the very handsome Hiroto a widower, and a single father of two.
It wasn't that I didn't like Hiroto, it's that he wasn't father, and even though he tried hard, I couldn't trust him, I couldn't trust any man. He smiled at me over the dinner table, looking every bit as nervous as I felt.
"Do you like your school, Mikan?" he asked, his voice was soft and soothing, and when he smiled, laugh lines crinkled his eyes.
"Not really." I said, staring studiously at my plate.
"What do you think about transferring schools?" asked Mom, spooning more eggs onto Hiroto's already half un-eaten plateful. My head snapped up, and I could practically feel my pupils dilating.
"Are we moving?" I asked mom. She looked nervous, and as far as answers went, that was as loud as a yell.
"We need to have a talk Mikan…" she said. I waited, my fork half way to my mouth. Mom looked at Hiroto and offered him a watery smile.
"Hiroto and I have really hit it off Mikan…" she said. Hiroto beamed at me, his smile was genuine, he looked elated. I looked at mom, whose happiness wanted to bubble to the surface, but she was nervous of how I would take it.
"And, I think that you need a father figure…after what ha…after Izumi left…" I saw mom's lip tremble.
"I think Hiroto would make a wonderful father."
I glanced at Hiroto, his brick red eyes shone with love for my mother, for me, for our family. I looked back at mom; my stomach felt like it was full of rocks.
"What are you getting at mom?" I asked. She smiled weakly at me, and fished around in her pocket, pulling out a little silver ring with a large diamond on it. I began choking on air.
Hiroto reached over to pat my back, he looked nervous. When I was done nearly dying, mom pulled me into her arms like she used to do when I was ten.
"I don't want to be alone anymore Mikan, it's been 4 years since Izumi left, you were only eleven, I need to move on Mikan. I don't want to spend the rest of my life all alone." She said, and I struggled to understand.
"Do you love him?" I asked, my voice cracking. Mom nodded as her fingers traced graceful patterns in my back.
"I do, Mikan." I sucked in a deep breath.
"When's the wedding?" I asked, meeting her eyes, as brown as mine, her excitement was finally allowed to pour out of her. She smiled.
"It's in December."
"When are we moving?" I asked weakly.
"Next week." She said.
OoOoOoOo
Moving wasn't so bad. We were staying in the same area, just moving into a more…upper class place. The house was huge, painted warm colors with a gray slate roof. And a vast, rambling, slightly over grown garden.
Statues peeked at me from behind trees and flower bushes. A flash of color caught my eye, and I saw a koi pond, with jade and turquoise glittering in the water, along with the graceful koi, shining like jewels in the water.
Hiroto led us along a marble walkway, he seemed as bright as the sun, Mom was absolutely beside herself with joy. I tugged at the dress I was wearing, a stuffy Victorian-style dress, pink with ribbons. Hiroto had bought it for me. It was uncomfortable, but it was beautiful.
Hiroto led us to the double doors at the entrance, great red oak doors that were smooth to the touch, carved with what looked life fire. Hiroto grinned at my mother as he opened the door, revealing a spacious entry way, antique armoires and curios filled with expensive looking figurines. Ornamental vases filled with dried hydrangea and peony flowers. Framed paintings of wild animals and verdant forests all clustered around a stairwell, leading up into the upper reaches of the house (it had to be at least 3 stories.)
The entire place was exquisite, and at the base of the stairs stood two equally exquisite people, I could tell by the first glance that they were Hiroto's children. A little girl, she couldn't be more than five, jumped up and down to get a better look at us. Her black hair was tied up into two pigtails and her face was split in a wide grin. Beside her, holding her pudgy hand in his, was a boy about my age, he was so sinfully handsome, with disheveled raven hair and intense red eyes.
I felt my breath catch as he looked over my mom, and then turned his gaze to me, his eyes wandering up my body. When his eyes met mine, he glared full force, his eyes filled with such a violent hatred that it stole my air from my lungs. Hiroto beamed at the two children.
"This is my daughter, Aoi." He said, beckoning the girl to him, she marched right past him and placed herself in front of me, her hands on her hips as she looked me over, much like her brother had. But when she was done she grinned at me
"You're pretty!" she said. I smiled at her.
"I'm Mikan." I said, she lifted her arms for me to lift her up, and I gladly did so, placing her on my shoulders.
Hiroto motioned to the boy, who was watching silently with a bored expression.
"This is Natsume, my son, he's one year older than you Mikan." Said Hiroto with a wide smile.
"You two will be attending private school together."
A/N: I revised it! I have a very hard time writing in 3rd person, so I made some changes. I wrote the original when I was half asleep, so it was pretty bad. Anyways, I hope you like it! Please feel free to comment/ask questions/make suggestions. Thanks!