Hello my name is Nana Osaki, and this is a story about a set of rules I wrote a long time ago, and how in one year I broke them all.

There are only ten simple rules a girl needs in order to survive, and over the course of fourth period Biology class I created this list. Of course thanks to the creation of this list I missed the whole review on the respiratory system and it's functions, hence failing the test on it the next day, and got a stern talking to from Mr. Honshu, a short fat sweaty balding bachelor somewhere in his forties who somehow always seemed to smell faintly of onions and chocolate(how is that possible, cologne maybe? does he eat them for breakfast, I should really ask about that). Of course I just used my stunningly good looks and raspy voice to convince him it was a mistake, that I was to caught up in band practice and working towards my future blah blah blah (the usual shit), a couple of eye flutters and a lean over with the just right amount of cleavage got my F changed to a B+. Now it's isn't that I usually use my body to get good grades, actually I'm not even that bad in school, it's just that I was bored that day in class and didn't pay attention, and I couldn't have my grandmother ground me for the F and miss band practice, band practice is crucial.

And so that is how the rules came to be. Ten simple rules of life. Even though they were written back when I was sixteen and still in high school those rules became sacred to me, my way of life. They got me through a lot of tough years. Then the year came that I broke all ten, in perfect harmony with the events too. One by one I broke them. It was as if I planned out that year perfectly to ruin my existence. I'm surprised I didn't go mental to be honest. My way of life crumbled before me until nothing was left.

Now it's been five years since I broke those rules, ten years since they were written. I sat in my tiny lone apart watching the sea churn from outside my window, it was one of my favorite activities. I could still remember the first time I ever saw the sea, I was so amazed, it was beautiful. I cried that day, out of happiness, awe, and the pure shock at how truly gorgeous the water was. the way the blue glimmered almost white in the day as it reflected sunlight off its surface. The sun of the waves crashing was in perfect harmony with the beat of my pounding heart.
It was when I was finally able to tear my eyes way from my window that I started to empty my guitar case. I hadn't opened it in years, since that fateful year actually. Something about the ocean today made me decide to reopen it. That was when I discovered it. I found a piece of notebook paper crumpled and ripped in the corner of my guitar case. It was page torn from my Biology notebook back as a second year student in high school. I picke it up, unsure of what it may be. After a moment opened it flattening it out on my bed sid table. The words were written in an arrangement of bright colors, doodles decorated the margins, many stick figures doing stupid little dances or acts. I stared at the words, which were hard to decipher, though I didn't need to figure them out, I already knew every word by heart. The title was still legible. I guess you can never run away from the past, just relive it until you can come to terms with it.

This is the story of these rules, and the year I broke each one by one until the very last one. Until I could no longer look at myself. Maybe after reading this some of you will be able to avoid making the same mistakes and not end up like me. Maybe you can find a happily ever after, if you follow your rules.

"Ten Rules of Survival By Nana Osaki."