CHAPTER 1

Corin

The first day of my junior year of high school was not normal. It was a cloudy day for mid-August, and I saw two guys walking down my street. Both were taller than me, one had a mop of grey-blue hair; the other had short red hair. They seemed to be fighting.

"Kee-o, Kee-o, Kee-o," the grey haired one said "You need to control your temper."

"Shut up You-ke, you're a pain in my ass anyway, so come on pretty boy; fight me here and now" the ginger said dropping his bag. He took a karate stance, but the grey haired guy just laughed.

"Kyo, I'm not going to go easy on you," he said. He lunged at the ginger, who dodged, the two became a blur of grey and orange, soon the ginger was on the ground, at which point I ran over to them.

"Hey! You two stop this now! Violence is not the answer and other clichés like that," I said kneeling over the ginger. He had a bloody nose and was just starting to come to. "Are you okay?"

His eyes opened, they were a dark brown with a reddish tint. He stiffened up at me being so close; his hands came to my shoulders and pushed me back so hard I landed on my back.

"Who are you? Stay the hell away from me," he said as he pushed me. I felt the salty, metallic taste of blood fill my mouth. My head burned with rage, it bubbled up until I boiled over, my arm shot out. The sound of the palm of my hand against his cheek was foreign and strangely satisfying.

I hadn't realized I was crying until the grey-haired boy turned my head to face him. He wiped away my tears, and then I really got a good look at him. He had grey eyes with a purple tint, his bangs fell in his eyes, and he had the prettiest face on a boy I had ever.

"I'm so sorry about Kyo, he has a bit of a temper problem, and I'm afraid you may have startled him," he said in a voice of soft, refined velvet. He turned to Kyo and that velvet voice became thick in anger. "To think, pushing then yelling at someone you was only showing you concern. What kind of impression do you think that leaves? We don't even know her name." He turns to face me, and for a split second his princely features were set into a look of complete hatred, but then he smiled and all evidence of that look was erased.

"I'm Yuki Sohma, and the idiot who pushed you is my cousin Kyo," Yuki's smile was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. And in that one moment I melted, he was now on my list. In others words, I liked him.

"I'm Corin, Corin Grey," I said smiling back.

"Where do you go to school?" asked Yuki.

"Just up the hill."

"That's where we are going, may we walk with you?"

"Of course." I reply smiling even wider.

Walking up the hill with Kyo and Yuki, I noticed that Kyo looked a little worse for wear, but Yuki didn't have a scratch on him. These two knew how to fight, I looked back at Kyo. I noticed that he had a foot print in the middle of his chest. Oh-my-gosh these two knew martial arts! The boys at school better not mess with them.

The hill had gotten very steep and it had been very windy last night so branches and twigs littered the street.

"You know Yuki; I've lived around here my whole life and I know most everyone who lives in town. There weren't any houses in town for sale, so where do you live?" I asked

"We live in a house south of town in the country," said Yuki. "Me, Kyo and Shigure." He pronounced Shigure like "Shi-goo-rae"

"Is Shigure your father?"

"No he's another cousin."

"Where are your parents?"

"My mother is still in Japan, I never met my father."

"Oh, do you have any siblings?"

"I have a brother."

"Oh that's nice I just have t-," I slipped on a loose twig, Kyo and Yuki both reached out to catch me. I hit the ground and the next thing I know a cloud of smoke appears; when it clears a grey rat is in my right hand, and the scruff of an orange cat's neck in my left. Next to the animals were Kyo and Yuki's clothes.

"Oh-my-gosh! I turned you into animals! I am so sorry," I said to them. I gathered up their clothes and stuffed them in my bag. I pulled out my cell phone and called my mom. I faked my best sick voice. "Mom I just threw up, would you call the school and tell them that I'm sick?"

"Sure honey do you want me to come home," she asked her mom instincts in full force.

"No mom I'll be okay, I got to go." I said as I hung up.

I run down the hill to my house, I toss Kyo and Yuki into my car, grab my keys from inside along with a phone book. I start the car, buckle Rat-Yuki and Cat-Kyo in, and tear out of my driveway.

I'm skimming through the S's in the book, when I hear Yuki's voice say "You won't find us in there," I pull over to the side of the dirt road a few miles south of town.

"You can talk?" I say dumbfounded.

The little grey rat wriggled out of the seat belt, scurried over the console, across my lap, and hopped on to the steering wheel.

"Yup," he said. Looking into those mouse eyes I knew it was Yuki and I wasn't hallucinating. My only thought was "Oh-my-good-ness that is just so cute." He turned around and hopped onto the dash board.

"Keep going straight and I'll point out the turn-off," he said pointing with a small grey paw.

"Okay," I say. I pulled out the road and followed Yuki's directions.

Soon he pointed to a turn-off partially hidden by plants. I pulled into the gravel drive-way, and sped to the large house, with a beautifully tiled roof and wrap-around porch. I grabbed Kyo, Yuki and my bag. I set Yuki on my shoulder, and Kyo under my arm, I ran up to the door and rang the bell. The door slid to the side to reveal a man in his late twenties.

"Are you Shigure Sohma," I ask.

"Yes, and to whom do I have the pleasure."

I sighed I relief, "I'm Corin Grey," I felt Yuki peek out from under my hair and Kyo push his claws into my side. "You're going to think I'm crazy with a Capital, C, but I turned Kyo and Yuki into animals." Suddenly Yuki scurried down my arm, across the porch, up to Shigure's shoulder. Yuki whispered something in his ear; he nodded, and said "Excuse me," and went in the house, leaving Yuki on the porch. Kyo turned his adorable kitty head to me.

"We weren't properly introduced before," he said a note of embarrassment in his sweet tenor of a voice. "I'm Kyo Sohma."

I moved him so I held him the way I normally held my cat Leon.

"Corin Grey," I said as I scratched Kyo behind the ears. Involuntarily he purred and sounded like a motorboat.

"Could… you please… stop that," he said between purring.

"Do you really want me to?" I asked. He clawed me to prove his point. I dropped him to the ground, and he hopped onto the porch and sat next to Yuki.

Another flash of smoke, and when it cleared, Kyo and Yuki were standing on the porch in human form…completely naked.

My eyes got as big as dinner plates; I could feel the blush start in my face, and spread to my neck. I reached into my bag, pulled out their clothes, and tossed them to Yuki.

"I hope you two feel better. Don't worry I won't tell anyone; any second now I'm going to wake up."

"Oh, but this is all too real," said Shigure. "That's why you're coming with me."

"Will it hurt? What you're going to do to me?" I asked.

"Not a bit," he replied.

"If only I could believe you," I thought as I climbed into my car. I followed Shigure down the road, all the while I couldn't stop thinking that somehow they were going to try to make me forget about Yuki and Kyo. I didn't want to forget especially about Yuki, his smile, hesitant, and sincere. I pictured Yuki in mouse form saying in a little mouse voice, "Fear me, I am uber-cute and pocket sized." I chuckled.

Shigure's Toyota pulled up to a huge gate in front of an even bigger house. It was practically a castle; it was made up of many small buildings and a huge main house, all in the Japanese style. There was even a rock garden to the west of the house. I stepped out of my car and followed Shigure to the front door. He knocked on the door, and it slid open to reveal my worst nightmare.

Oakedokie well I thought it was a cute idea, tell me what ya'll think! Please enjoy