Tobi...Stern? I have a...sister...? Seven o'clock. Ulrich Stern leaned over the bathroom sink, struggling to control his heavy breathing. The feeling of cold marble just brushing his fingertips only increased the intense feeling of pain that racked his body. It wasn't the loss of the end-season soccer game that was slowly tearing him apart inside, it was what his parents had told him only two minutes ago; minutes now seemed like endless hours as he glanced down at his watch. Ten minutes. Ulrich wanted to lay down on his bed and die, the thought of his game room torn apart for some...girl.

"Come out of the bathroom hon, the bus will be here in three minutes!" He heard his mother yell happily from the kitchen. Ulrich after hearing this could only imagine what having a sister was like. Would she be anything close to nice? I'm being selfish...she's not "some girl," she's family...

"Coming, mum!" Ulrich yelled, taking one last glance in his mirror. "Not bad," He told himself before carefully closing the bathroom door. His mother had taken great care to see that the four-story house was clean, as hard as he tried Ulrich couldn't find a single speck of dirt anywhere he bothered to look. Despite this everything was the same - but would it stay this way?

ONLY A MINUTE LATER...

The sound Ulrich had never wanted to hear resounded throughout every room in the house as soon as Ulrich claimed his couch. It was so...soft...he sunk into the kneaded material without any time to enjoy it...a sudden draft made him grab a small white blanket from the nearest cushion and pull it over his head. Someone had opened the front door...a voice, an unfamiliar female voice, similar to that of his aunt but with more of a tipped English accent greeted his mother with an Italian phrase, the only one Ulrich had bothered to memorize. "Ciao, mum...it's been...so long...Vi voglio bene." Italian? After this display of affection Ulrich had to look...she was tall, almost as tall as him. Her long, well-kept violet hair swept down her back in waves. And she was pale, unnaturally pale, her eyes a deep, curious silver color...as for her clothes? Nothing he had ever...seen. The girl gave a small, silver-lipped smile, hesitating before stepping more into the room and giving him an even smaller hug. Ulrich blushed...

"So...y-you're my s...sister..." Of course she was, there was just no words to fit the space where happiness should have been, or was it covered instead with doubt?

"Yes...you...you're my brother?" Tobi looked up at Ulrich and once she did he couldn't find the right response, something that seemed...what's the word?

"Yeah, I'm your brother," Ulrich replied happily. There were the words, tumbling out naturally. "Ready for school, little sister?" Tobi might have been only a year younger, that simple fact didn't matter to him.

"I'm scared..."

"Why?" Tobi sighed. It was a long, drawn-out sigh, something Ulrich knew very well. "Wait - you don't think no one's gonna notice you?" He already knew what his sister's answer was before she could stammer it to the best of her abilities. "It's fine, Tobi. You'll be okay. I promise."

THE NEXT MORNING

"I'm not coming out!" Ulrich buried his head in his hands. "Tobi, you HAVE TO!" He held his breath for a second, struggling to stay calm. "Please?" He added thoughtfully. "I'm sure you look great, sis." From within Tobi's bedroom Ulrich heard his sister drag herself out of bed - finally.

"Give me ten minutes, Ulrich!" Tobi yelled. She had slept in her clothes, but her brother didn't know that. Grey quarter-sleeved Hogwarts T-shirt, black leggings, button-up navy jacket and yes, black combat boots. Only two minutes...eight left without much to do except run a brush through her already-combed hair - in the three miutes it took to blindly grope for the doorknob Ulrich was waiting out in the hall, tapping his foot impatiently.

"You look great, like I said you would sis," He told her. Tobi only slipped past her brother.

"Don't wanna hear it," she replied bluntly.

"What's wrong?" Before Ulrich could stop his sister she had pulled her skateboard from underneath the soft light blue hallway carpet. "Don't go yet..."

"Don't tell me what to do!" The front door slammed shut, and Ulrich's happiness went right with the bitter morning draft. She thinks I'm like dad - 'cause I yelled at her. "Why can't I keep my mouth shut?!"

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Mother assured him. "Tobi isn't used to living here, Ulrich." Ulrich only sighed.

"I know Mum."

"Just go to school and talk to her there..."

-
TREES, endless blacktop and nothing but a carbon copy of the disgusting Industrial scene flew past in a quick blur as Tobi landed another backflip, just too easy. Concentrating on launching into a double front flip, however, she didn't notice the stranger leaning against a tree - this, too went by in a blur. Would everything be like this...fast-paced?

"If only I hadn't gotten mad at Ulrich...he's just trying to help me...I guess I have to survive alone."