Love Bites:

Chapter 1: Won't Fade

"Okaa-san! Okaa-san!" Cried the energetic six-year old, Momo.

"What is it, Momo?" Replied her mother.

"I have a question," said Momo, her mother just staring at her daughter, waiting to see what she had in mind. "Do happy endings really come true?"

The young mother just thought for a second, and said, "They do. But for a happy ending to come true, you mustn't give up hope. No matter what the situation is. Don't believe what others say. You must, instead, have faith that somewhere, someday, a person will come and take you to your happy ending. And if not…..Like my Okaa-san use to say, 'If dreams don't come to you, then you go to them!' So, no matter what, you must never give up hope, Momo," said her mother, while pointing at her heart.

"Hai!"

"Ahhh! I forgot. Your father told me to go and find him when he gets back from work! I must go at once!"

"Momo?" she asked, looking at her daughter.

"Huh?"

"Will you be all right staying with your Aunt Momoko?"

"Hai!"

"I'll come back as soon as I can! Ah! Before I go, I want you to have this Momo." The mother went to her room very quickly, and came back holding something in her hand. When she opened it, Momo saw something she's never seen. It was a necklace. Not just any necklace. It had a tiny lock in the bottom shaped like a heart. She awed in amazement.

"I want you to have this, as a gift from your father and me. Ah! I must really get going!"

"Okasan! Wait-"

Before she could respond, her mother had already disappeared. Momo just stared at what would be last place she would ever see her mother again.

"I'll miss you…"

"MOMO! Wake up!" Yelled the angry aunt. "I take you in, and this is how you repay me?"

The yells of the aunt was enough to wake up Momo from her dream. "Huh? Aunt Momoko!"

As soon as she heard the yells of her aunt, she ran to open the door. "Aunt Momoko, I was asleep. I couldn't hear you. How can I help you?" Momo just hoped her aunt wouldn't yell at her. If she knew something about her aunt, it would be her yells. She could non-stop yell for the whole day, and her voice wouldn't be in any damage the next day.

"I want you to change, and go help my beautiful daughter, Rika. She needs help with her hair, her dress, and her makeup. Go now, before I make you clean this house until it's spotless!

"Yes, ma'am." Momo walked towards her tiny closet, but couldn't help to sigh.

Since the day her mother and father were found brutally murdered, she from then on had to live with her Aunt Momoko. It felt like living hell.

Heck, it was living hell to Momo.

Her aunt did have one daughter. Her name was Rika. She was the same age as Momo, fourteen years old. She was almost as cold-hearted as her mother. Her emotionless brown eyes, her very short brown hair. Like her mother, Rika thought she was the most beautiful human being in this world. Boys would try to talk to her, but once they caught glimpse of Momo, they would abandon her, and try to flirt with her. Momo, though, wasn't the type to enjoy all these flirts. She would always try to get away, or make up an excuse.

As she got up, Momo wondered what the occasion was this time. Was it a fancy party, or a tea party? Was she going to a wedding? Or maybe having a reunion with her little, bratty, spoiled friends? Whatever it was, Momo was pretty sure she couldn't go. She was never allowed. And she's never even gone to one since her parents had died.

When she finish putting a small, white dress that reached her ankles, she went to Rika's room. Another thing, she had to knock and have permission before she was allowed to go to any of her aunt's or her daughter's room. But they didn't have to knock when it came to hers.

Knock, knock!

"Come in!" Yelled the voice Momo was tired of hearing. Upon hearing her permission granted, she opened the door to find Rika standing in front of her large mirror.

"Well, look who's here. Did my mom send you?"

"Yes."

Rika chuckled, "Momo, tell me….when are you going to change that innocent face of yours? I mean, you're not ugly, but of coarse, not as pretty as me. But, you always have that same expression on your face. It gets boring after a while, hon. If you ever wanna feel pretty, you gotta act like you think your pretty, but that ain't your thing, is it, Momo?"

Momo didn't care if she was pretty to Rika or not. All she wanted was to have some freedom, like everyone else. But, that ain't happening any sooner.

"Rika, I wake up every morning, and go to sleep every night feeling the same thing- Boredom. I'm bored of seeing the same thing, seeing the same things happen. Maybe you go to the outside world, but I have to stay inside this house for my whole life. I never feel true happiness in this house, or with you. I do this for your mom, for letting me live with you. If you're bored seeing this expression on my face, then change. Change the world, change this house. Change yourself. I hope that answers your question."

"Momo, Momo, Momo…If I were you, I'll hide that damn confidence that's leaking out. You wouldn't wanna see that face of yours get messed up, now would you?" Momo could feel the girl's breath on her. " Enough with this chat. Let's get going! Now, help me put on this dress."

It was a black satin dress. Her dress was too short for her legs. It barely when past her thighs. Then her high heels, not just any high heels, , very HIGH heels. She put on her pearl earrings and pearl necklace. Momo hated doing this. She hated helping people she knew didn't deserve it. Then came the makeup. Momo hated this most of all. Rika would try the makeup on her to see if it was good enough or not.

"Mmmmm….Nah! This color is just too dark," she would say, then continue on.

Someday…..Thought Momo, I'll have my own freedom….

"You mustn't give up hope, Momo…"

Mother…Why did you have to go? I miss you. That was the last thing I told you. Why did it have to be that day? You left, and never came back….Momo told herself. At that moment, Momo felt as if she was going to start to cry. But she didn't, no matter what, she wouldn't allow it.

"Hey, Momo? What's going on inside that little mind of yours?" Asked Rika with curiosity.

"Nothing." Replied Momo as if she was bored as ever. Momo could never forget what happened eight years ago.

Eight years ago, huh?….

Flashback: 8 years ago. Momo, 6yrs. old

"Aunt Momoko! Aunt Momoko! When is Okaa-san and Otosan getting back?" asked the curious Momo.

"When they get here. You're such a curious child! Why don't you go and sit with Rika, and play dress-up, or put on makeup or something?" said the annoyed aunt.

"Because that's boring!" yelled Momo back.

"Ahh….How do your parents put up with you?" Aunt Momoko couldn't blame Momo. She knew Momo was the type of child that dearly cared for her parents. As soon as that thought ended, there was a knock on the door.

Momo was the one that looked outside the window. "Aunt Momoko, there's a police-man outside!"

"I wonder why they came…..", she opened the door. "Why, good evening, officers. How can I help you?"

"Good evening, ma'am. Are you the sister of Manami?"

"Yes. Yes I am. Did something happened?" , said Aunt Momoko with fear.

"Aunt Momoko," yelled Momo, "has Okaa-san and Otosan arrived?"

"Is that their daughter?" asked the officer.

"Yes, that's their only child." Aunt Momoko looked confused by now.

"Ma'am, would it be alright if you stepped outside with us to talk privately?" asked the bearded officer.

"Why, of coarse. Momo. I'm going outside to talk with these officers. I'll be right back."

"Okay!"

Once they were outside, the officer broke the news. What they didn't know was Momo was hearing their conversation by the window.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to inform you that the bodies of your sister and her husband were found today . About a half a mile away from here, they were found murdered. I'm sorry." said the officer with a sad tone.

Aunt Momoko just broke sobs. "W-What?" Her eyes were now full of tears. "What?"

Inside, Momo couldn't believe it.

"O-Okaa-san…is gone? Otosan is gone…? They're dead? N-No! No! NO! NO! This can't be real! No! NO!" Momo just burst into tears and yells. Aunt Momoko knew what had happened; She overheard.

"NO! Aunt Momoko! Tell me it isn't true! Please!" More tears came out! "I want my mommy! I want my daddy! No!" She collapsed on the floor. She sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. Her tears streaming down her face. Her hazel eyes showing so much distress.

"I'm sorry, Momo." Aunt Momoko couldn't even look into her eyes. It was too painful.

"No! No!" Momo yelled, running to the bedroom.

"Poor girl…..She loved her parents unbelievably. This is going to affect her."

"Now without parents in this world, what are you going to do with her?" asked the officer.

"She'll stay with me. Now, we're the only family she has." Aunt Momoko just stared at the room Momo was in. "Poor child."

"I must get going now." said the officer.

"I understand. You have things to do."

"Goodnight, ma'am."

"Not anymore…."

Present Time: Momo, 14yrs. Old

"Hey! Momo! What the hell?" yelled Rika.

"Huh?"

"It seemed like you weren't in this room with me."

"Yeah…"

Chapter 2! Review! Wow! That was long…

I DON NOT OWN BLEACH!

I do own pie, though…

~ Lucy