"Have you heard about it?"

"It's sweeping all of Japan!"

"That new game!"

"Angelic Layer."

*** The first second that 8th grader, Hitomi Masamichi laid eyes on Angelic Layer, she knew she was meant to be its champion.

But she hadn't heard about her soon-to-be passion until one warm, September day, as she was walking to her first day at Eriol Academy.

Hitomi had on her usual green lined Eriol Uniform. It kind of saddened her that this would be the last year she'd wear it. Next year she would be a freshman in High School and would wear the high school uniform. You see, all the pre-schoolers wore yellow. All the Elementary Schoolers, red. All the Middle Schoolers, green. And the High School wore blue. Still, she was getting a little tired of this green uniform. It didn't go with her long ebony hair, and blue shining eyes. Hitomi's hair was long. REALLY long. Even when she put it up in her trademark bun, the rest of the hair went down to her calves.

All the girls in her grade thought that she was beautiful because of her hair. The boys all huffed and just said that it doesn't take a Usada Hikaru* to grow long hair.

Hitomi made her way up two flights of stairs, on her way to the Middle School floor. She was ready to rule the Middle School, as the most popular girl in it. And she wasn't the snotty popular type either. Nope, she was just kind. She was nice with everyone, but she usually stuck to her closest four friends. Speaking of them, where were they?

"HITOMI-CHAN!" Hitomi turned her head around the stair case to see one of her close friends, Yuki, running towards her, her back length blonde hair waving as she ran, her light blue eyes shining with excitement, "We're all in the same homeroom!"

"Great!" Hitomi laughed at poor Yuki, out of breath.

"Yeah, isn't it?" Yuki breathed heavily.

"A lucky coincidence indeed," the two girls turned to see another one of their close friends Ayame. Ayame had short black hair and brown eyes. She was considered another beauty around school, second only to Hitomi. "How was your summer Hitomi?" she asked in her calm, celestial voice.

"Wonderful!" Hitomi smiled at Ayame.

"IT BETTER HAD BEEN!" the girls all automatically ducked as their friend, Kanako came flying over them in a jump-kick. She landed with grace on her left foot and took a graceful bow, her long brunette ponytail coming down onto her green eyes. The girls all applauded and laughed. Kanako was the giddiness of the party, really. Hitomi envied how good she looked in the green uniform. "So Hitomi?" she asked deviously, "You got a boyfriend yet?"

Hitomi blushed furiously, "OF COURSE NOT!" she yelled quickly. The girls all giggled. "REALLY I--"

The first bell rung, saving Hitomi from even more embarrassment. "We'd better get in," Ayame told them and they all nodded in agreement and went into their classroom, MS 104.

The girls all sat down at desks next to one another. The entire class was chatting, but the four girls were looking around the room.

"Where is she?"

"I know she's in our homeroom."

Hitomi kept looking around for her best friend. Where could she be? The teacher was taking role.

"Akano, Ryo?"

"Here."

'I hope she makes it in time.' Hitomi thought.

"Darichi, Yuki?"

"Here."

'Where IS she?'

"Tano, Ikiko?"

No response. Where was Ikiko?

"HERE!"

The class turned around to see Ikiko standing in the doorway, panting.

"IKIKO-CHAN!" Hitomi yelled running up and giving her best friend a big hug.

"HITOMI!" Ikiko yelled hugging her back. She then noticed the entire class watching. She quickly broke away and bowed to the teacher. "Sorry I'm late, Mr. Hikio." she stammered. "My mother's car broke down."

"That's all right Ikiko," Mr. Hikio smiled, "Just sit down."

Ikiko sat down next to Hitomi and they smiled at each other. Everyone gave the pair odd looks. Ikiko, well, she wasn't really like Hitomi and the others. Actually, she was the opposite of Hitomi in almost every way. Ikiko had long red hair that she kept up in untidy braids. She wore coke bottle glasses and had freckles all over her face. She had dull hazel eyes and had a very flat chest. Nobody knew why Hitomi hung out with her, when she could do so much better.

But Hitomi didn't care what others thought. Ikiko was the best friend any girl could ask for. She was kind, generous, and smart, so she could help Hitomi if she was having problems with schoolwork. She always listened to Hitomi and the two were almost inseparable.

Although the five girls were in the front row at the beginning of class, it didn't stay that way. The teacher had a seating chart and had put them in different seats. Hitomi had stayed in the front row of the class, next to Wong. Wong was cute, and he was from China. But no matter how cute Wong was, Hitomi wished she were still sitting next to Ikiko, who had been placed in the third row, first seat, like Hitomi. At least Hitomi sat in front of Ayame. That was cool.

The day passed slowly, but Hitomi had at least one of her friends in all of her classes. And Ikiko was in 7 out of 8 of them. Ikiko took Algebra, while Hitomi was just taking Pre-Algebra. But during math, she could still talk to Yuki and Kanako who were with her.

Finally the day ended. Hitomi, Ikiko, and the rest of their friends walked down the street from school to the curb together. They had done so every day since Kindergarten, it was a like a tradition. And as long as the ice cream vendor was at the corner, the one to loose a game of Hot Potato had to treat everyone to ice cream.

This week, Hitomi lost. So, she was forced to buy, 1 chocolate scoop (Kanako), 1 vanilla (Ayame), 1 Strawberry (Yuki), and two Mint Chocolate chips (for her and Ikiko. They even liked the same ice cream.)

One by one their parents drove up and they waved goodbye to their friend and said the friendship goodbye. 'I'll see you tomorrow, so don't try to run. And without me beside you, don't have any fun!' And then they'd say goodbye as many times as there were friends left. This time Hitomi was last, and Yuki was the one to only say one goodbye.

Hitomi waited for a while under a big oak tree by the curb. These silly traditions they had, they seemed to have gone back to forever. Was there a time in her life that she hadn't known these wonderful friends of hers?

"Hey, you dead?" Hitomi jumped a foot off the ground as she heard the voice. She looked up to see a man with frazzled black hair, dressed in a white lab coat.

Hitomi looked at him for a moment and he looked back at her. There was a minute or so of silence.

"KIDNAPPER!" Hitomi screamed at the top of her lungs. "HELP ME PLEASE, ANYONE, SOMEONE!"

Hitomi continued to shriek as the man looked around nervously. "Stop yelling!" he cried at her. "Stop yelling!" he yelled louder. "STOP YELLING!" her finally screamed and she stopped, looking terrified. "I'm not a kidnapper!"

"You're not?" Hitomi asked timidly.

"No," he sighed. But then he looked at her, long, and hard. "What's your name kid?"

"Hitomi," she stuttered. "Hitomi...Masamichi."

"Hitomi," the man looked at her. "I have something here that you might be very interested in." Hitomi gulped and the man dug into his lab coat. Slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled out what seemed to be an egg. The egg was blue and had tiny wings protruding from the sides of it.

"An egg?" she asked.

"Not just any egg," he got very close to her, "This is an egg, filled with a dream." Hitomi looked at the egg again to see a turquoise doll, floating in a gooey liquid. "An Angel Egg." he finished and Hitomi reached out to touch it, but he pulled it away.

"Nope," he said. "You have to buy it like everyone else."

"Where do I buy it?" asked Hitomi, but she then stopped. "What does it do?"

"That," the man kneeled down and put a hand on Hitomi's shoulder, "You will find out once we get to Piffle Princess."

Hitomi stared at this man, for what seemed like forever. Slowly, while still staring at him, she pulled out her cell phone from her purse and pressed speed dial, "1." The phone rang as she remained in the same position, staring at the man.

"Hello?" she heard her mom on the other end.

"Mom?" Hitomi asked over the phone, "I'm going to be a bit late."

*** Chappy 1 completed! Whaddya think? Too many friends and not enough Angels? Well Chapter Two will be jammed packed with Angel Action, so don't worry!

Until then, Sayonara!

*** *Usada Hikaru- A pop star in Japan. Writer and performer of "Simple and Clean."