1

"Today, Class, is the anniversary of our lovely city. Five hundred years ago today, our founding members survived a battle against barbarians, and rebuilt the town from the ground up after it was destroyed."

Chalk scratched against the blackboard at the start of the classroom. The sunlight outside the high school was bright - the weather being recorded as one of the hottest days of summer yet - and in the rays of light the chalk spelled words like magic. Happy Anniversary, the board read. Beneath that were facts of the town founders, the battles against the barbarians that latest for days and days, and the buildings that remained from all those years ago.

New students - freshman - found the facts amazing. They were never taught such things in elementary school, and being introduced to the facts was eye opening. Who knew? Besides adults, of course. And Usagi, a senior, who had taken the class three times prior and just could not pass.

She stared at her bright haired teacher, who's long fingers decorated the board with the notes to write down. She wouldn't, of course, because why would she? Who cared about the battles of five hundred years ago? Not Usagi. What or who were these barbarians anyway? Usagi didn't know. She sat at her desk, her long blonde hair tied up in ponytails, secured with buns, and her head in her hands. Her bright, blue eyes were half lidded, her mind else where. Usagi was playing video games at home - that's where her mind was. And she was surrounded in ice cream. She'd rather have that, than listen to this stupid class for one more year.

"Ah, I see another year no notes, Miss Usagi."

Usagi jumped in her desk. Suddenly each and every freshman eye was on her. Their eyes, plus the teacher's; She wasn't sure how she quickly became the center of attention. Being lost in her thoughts was one thing, but completely gone, was another. She wasn't sure when the teacher left the front of the room and walked next to her. It scared her, really.

"I, uh..." Usagi stammered as her nails patted nervously against the top of her desk, "You see, um..."

"I'd hate to have to stall your graduation because you don't pass my class, Usagi."

The teacher smiled, almost comforting, but there was no comfort when the freshman class around her began to snicker. Usagi groaned as he hid her face.

"I should have copied off of Ami..." Usagi walked down the halls after class, grumbling to herself. She couldn't wipe the annoyed look from her face. It was the beginning of the school year, the halls full of life and excited students, and Usagi already made a fool of herself before the end of the first day. Her stomach was in knots; Her mother would kill her. "Dammit..."

"I wouldn't have let you copy, even if you tried. It would get you no where, Usagi!"

Usagi raised only her eyes. She hadn't noticed her friend had caught up to her in the hallway. Ami, her intelligent, blue haired friend, smiled warmly at her. While Usagi carried books in her backpack, Ami carried a tablet - each of her books were digitally downloaded and tabbed with notes. Usagi would have done it that way, if only she understood technology. If it wasn't a TV, or a video game, or something that played music, she would hit numerous buttons until something happened. Normally, the outcome didn't go in her favor. If it wasn't for Ami, she would be a lost cause sometimes.

"But Ami, she's talking about summer school! You have to help me!" Usagi whined, her head still slumped over and her face still down in the dumps.

Ami could not help but laugh. She rose a pencil in the air, twirling around the eraser - which was shaped like the planet Mercury - and tapped in against her forehead. "I could help you study." She smiled, "And we can ensure you pass!"

Oh, why can't you just do it for me? Usagi thought to herself.

The rest of the day went on the way it started - rough, dull, and humiliating. She walked into the wrong class, twice. Not to mention she hadn't realized until the middle of the day that she had forgotten her lunch at home. By the end of the day, a hungry Usagi slumped down the hall, ready to meet up with Ami and Minako to head out for ice cream. But even that didn't end well; She trips, and falls face first into a fellow student eating pizza. Her uniform was ruined.

"It isn't so bad!" Minako laughed as she playfully braided her own bright, blonde hair, "It could have been worse."

The three girls were a block or so away from the ice cream shop they normally attended. Their other friends, Rei and Makoto, were probably inside already. Being a hot day, ice cream was a necessity. Yet, Usagi needed to point out the mess she was in. She growled as she hopped in front of her two friends. She pulled at the shirt she wore - her gym shirt - and pouted, an overblown pout. "Do you see this? Look at me! I'm hideous!"

Ami bit down on her bottom lip, and adjusted her glasses on her face to free of her of the sun's glare. "It could be worse." She said, simply.

"It could've been a cute boy you bumped into!" Minako chimed.

Usagi grumbled as she turned around, her head turned up towards the sky, "But he was cute!" her voice carried out into the air around them.

Once inside the parlor, Usagi found herself in the comforting arms of Makoto. The tall brunette wrapped her arms around her younger friend. It's alright! She hummed as Usagi whined, It could have been worse! It seemed that was Usagi's phrase of relief for the day. It could have been worse. Perhaps it could've been. She had no choice but to let the day go, and relax with her friends. As they were brought their ice cream sundaes and milkshakes, each of the girls talked about their day. Makoto was able to register in a cooking class in her school, and of course, was already the apple of the teacher's eyes. Rei had found some extracurricular for herself, each revolving around the supernatural and mystical - she could not wait to start them. Minako was the gleaming star in her drama class, and Ami already picked up extra credit classes - You can never have enough knowledge! She cheered.

"And Usagi went head first into a boy?" Rei laughed as she at the cherry on top of her vanilla ice cream.

"I tripped!" She cried in defense.

"He was cute too, she said." Minako teased, and ducked - Usagi threw a spoon in her direction.

"You both are horrible! Ugh, I hate you!"

"You don't hate them." Ami laughed as she scrolled through her tablet. She had ordered a milkshake, that she had drank mid way, but paused to download a book.

"I do! Do you have to keep repeating that he was cute?" Usagi sneered her eyes at her fellow blonde haired friend, "I mean, did you meet a cute boy today?"

Usagi hadn't noticed at first, but Minako's face had flushed a faint pink. Her eyes were behind Usagi and the others, staring at the counter of the ice cream parlor. Usagi waved her hand in her friend's face, but could not break her gaze. "Helllllo. Earth to Minako."

"Speaking of cute boys..." Minako whispered. She gripped Usagi's chin in her hand and forced her friend to look in the same direction. The other girls followed their gaze. And each felt a though they had seen an angel.

At the counter were five young men, varying in height. There were two with blond hair, one shorter than the other. One of them, the tallest of the five, had long silver hair that framed his shoulders and arms, and the one who stood beside him had maroon hair tucked behind his ears. Usagi's eyes were stuck on the one in the middle; He was tall, but not the tallest. His hair was black, cut short, and he had dark eyes to match. He was strikingly beautiful, with perfect skin and a body that was sculpted from marble. It didn't help, that as she stared at him, he stared back at her, his eyes seemingly full of intent. In fact, each of the young men were staring at them. The girls gulped in unison.

"Oh my." Makoto whispered as she dropped her spoon.

"Who are they?" Ami whispered; she never looked at boys when her friends did, but these boys, she could not avoid. There was a strong aura about them. It emitted off of each of them in vibrating pulses. Ami felt it in her heart, a drawing sensation.

"I... I don't know." Minako whispered, "I've never seen them around before."

The girls gasped in unison as the dark haired teen took steps towards them, and his friends followed. Usagi's eyes went wide. She looked down at her old, yellow gym shirt and squealed silently. "I can't." She whispered at Minako as she pulled at her collar, "Look at me. I can't talk to him like this!"

"I think it's too late..." Minako said, her eyes transfixed at the angels that approached them.

Usagi tried to dart and hide behind the pink booth they sat on, but it was too late. The same pulse Ami had felt, Usagi felt. Her hands dug into the faux leather as she fought to run away, but her legs wouldn't move. Her brain yelled at her feet, but nothing changed. She was frozen. Stiff as a board. And then his voice hit her ears.

"Nice shirt."

Usagi's head whipped around, so hard the long strands from her ponytails hit her face. With flushed cheeks, and hair in her mouth, she was met by dark eyes that seemed to glow. The smile on his face matched. As if she hadn't heard him - or he thought she hadn't - he said it again, this time with a laugh, "Um, Nice... Shirt?"

Thank you to Kera69love, Ruk, Marie, Ilana & the mysterious Guest for the reviews! I'm glad my first chapter grabbed people :) Hopefully this second chapter was just as enjoyable! Sorry it's kind of short ...

And to clarify, yes it's Beryl. I hadn't noticed the typo. Sometimes I type on my phone, and it auto corrects words to other words my phone assumes I want to say. Bah. I'll go back and correct!

And, yes! There is a back story to this :) Chapters will soon unfold this.