"Flight 2407 to Monterey, California, now boarding," said the voice over the intercom.

"Tia!" I said, nearly running into her. "Come on! Amy's already on board!"

Tia's taller than me, with straight brown hair and red highlights, while Amy is a Latina, with a darker appearance, down to her almost black hair and dark eyes.

"Where's Melanie?" my mom asked. "You know you're supposed to look after your cousin!"

Melanie's my cousin, but she looks nothing like me. I have short curly hair, and she has long straight blonde hair (that I'm totally jealous of).

"She's on board with Amy," I replied. "I came back to get Tia."

"Why am I going again?" Tia asked.

"The beach," I replied. "We can go surfing. And we can learn cool stuff…like the new dances you wanted to learn."

Tia sighed. "Okay, I'm coming."

"Whoa…this cabin is huge!" I said, looking around. "Amy, can I have bottom bunk? I'll fall if I'm on top. I'll try to get down and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and fall onto the floor."

"Ha…ha…has that happened?" Amy asked.

"I bet it has," replied Tia.

I threw a pillow at her. "Shut up."

"Tia, what classes do you have?" Melanie asked Tia, who was above her on the top bunk.

"Same as you," replied Tia. "Creative Writing-Daily, Sketching-Daily, Dance-Daily."

"I'm not in Dance," replied Melanie.

"Hello girls!" said a cheery voice. "I'm Susan, your cabin counselor for the summer. Any questions, feel free to ask! Classes don't start for another hour."

"Hey cuz!" Melanie exclaimed. "Can I do your make-up? There might be some cute boys at this camp, you know."

"I'll do your hair," Amy said.

"And I'll take a nap," Tia muttered.

"Come on Tia," I said. "Don't you want a make-over?"

"I'd rather nap, thanks," she replied.

I sighed and succumbed to the hair-straightening and make-up from my best friend and my cousin.

"Sketching," I sighed, and opened my sketchbook. "I…I really don't think I can do this."

"Just focus, you'll do fine," replied Mrs. O'Connell, the art instructor. "You have more talent then you think you do, you just lack focus."

I started sketching an apple from the basket of fruit.

There was a boy sketching next to me. I turned to Amy.

"Time to talk to someone random!" I whispered.

Amy and I have a tradition that we always talk to someone new in every new class or whatever we start in. This was the first time I'd tried it on a guy however.

"Hello," I said softly in his direction.

He jumped a little. He had obviously been consumed in his thoughts, or maybe his artwork. "H-Hello."

"I'm Kristine," I said. "What's your name?"

"Daisuke," he replied. "Daisuke Niwa."

"Dai-suke…did I say it right?" I asked.

Daisuke blushed. That girl…why was she being so nice? She was really pretty…

Oh no! Daisuke thought. I'm starting to react…I can't turn into Dark here! How can I like Kristine? I just met her!

"Daisuke? Did I say your name right or not?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh…yeah," he said, not looking at her. Don't react…don't react.

"You aren't supposed to call him by his first name, dimwit," one of Kristine's friends said. "He's Japanese…so you call him by his last name until he tells you otherwise."

"Oh crap! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe…I…"

"Oh! It's okay!" Daisuke said. "You can call me by my first name if you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Daisuke smiled at her.

"Class, put your sketchbooks away," Mrs. O'Connell said. "It's time for your next class."

"Hn…I only got the apple done…" Kristine sighed. "And it looks like crap…"

She showed it to Amy.

They both burst out laughing.

"What?" Daisuke said. "It can't be that bad."

"No…really…" she gasped between laughs. "I…wasn't paying attention…so I…drew a fish instead…anyway…have you met my friends?"

"No," Daisuke replied.

"This is Amy, Tia, and my cousin Melanie," she said.

"She's your cousin?" Daisuke said, looking over at the blonde girl.

They look nothing alike, he thought.

"Yes," she said. "Daisuke…you want to have lunch with us later?"

"What?" Daisuke was shocked by her question.

"Lunch," Kristine said again. "We were going to eat on the beach, and I wanted you to be there."

Oh no! I'm reacting again! Daisuke thought. "I'll be there, but right now I have to go!"

He ran out to the back of the building. His heart was racing…and he was blushing still from before. He closed his eyes…and felt himself transform.

"Ha! I saw that!" Melanie said, staring straight at Daisuke, who had all of a sudden…changed into someone else. "I'm not quite sure I believe it though…"

"You followed me?" the new person said.

"Who are you?" Melanie was a little freaked out.

"My name is Dark," he said. "I'm Daisuke's other half. And I'm sorry, but you're going to have to forget what you just saw."

He held up his hand, which was glowing. He touched her forehead in an attempt to wipe her memory, but the magic didn't work.

Dark looked up at her. Suddenly he flinched. .She was wearing a charm! Where did she get it?

"Did you just try to use magic on me, Dark?" Melanie smirked. "Good thing Satoshi gave me this charm."

"How do you know Hiwatari?" Dark asked.

"We're friends," Melanie smiled. "Now...why exactly did you transform?"

"Why would I tell you that?" Dark replied sharply, a bit irked that he had been found out by this little blonde girl.

"Well…Satoshi didn't tell me…so I don't think he knows," replied Melanie. "If you tell me why you change…I promise I won't tell anyone about your…condition."

"Why would I trust you?"

"Have I given you a reason not to?"

"Hmm…I guess not…" Dark muttered. "And I really don't want you as my enemy. So…I think I'll show you what makes me transform."

Dark stepped closer to her, and suddenly kissed her. He transformed back into Daisuke instantaneously.

"I-I'm sorry!" he exclaimed.

"Hmm…Dark isn't a bad kisser," Melanie said, blushing. "So…you change based on feelings of love? Who is it that you love, then?"

"What? Why do you have to know?" Daisuke asked.

"Ohhh…it's Kristine, isn't it?" Melanie giggled a little, punching Daisuke lightly on the arm. "You can't fool me, Daisuke, I have brothers. And I won't tell her. You're my friend, and…we kind of have an agreement, right?"

Daisuke smiled and nodded. "But…how can I like your cousin? I just met her."

"Well, you don't love her, obviously, since you don't know her. You probably just think she's really pretty…wait…you do know that she doesn't always look like this, right?"

"Huh?" Daisuke asked.

"She usually has curly hair, and she never wears nearly that much make-up. Hmm…guess we'll see if you still like her tomorrow."

"I'm not that shallow!" Daisuke exclaimed.

"Sure…" replied Melanie