A/N: Everything is in italics right now because Amu's having flashbacks. It'll return to regular after the flashbacks, I promise. I'll try to get them done in this chapter.

So...enjoy!

Amu's POV

"What!? Amu-chan can't get a C-! She always got Bs and "A"s!" Mama seemed shocked.

"Amu-chan! You need to focus on your grades now! Maybe your friends are getting in the way of your grades!" Papa started panicking.

"Speaking of grades, don't you have a big test coming up?" Mama asked. I simply nodded and left to study.

Later that day, I yawned and stretched back in my chair, glancing at the clock, then stopped.

2:45 AM

"WHAT!? I need to go to bed now!" I hurriedly shut my text books and put away my notes, then ran into the bathroom to wash.

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I finished the test and checked my answers again, then turned it in, feeling confident. I walked out of the classroom and into the hall, where everybody was literally jumping up and down. I looked around, confused, then decided to listen in on their conversations.

"What are you wearing to the dance?"

"Have you got a partner yet?"

"It'll be so fun!"

I suddenly remembered the dance at night, then groaned after recalling it was mandatory, since we were graduating from junior high. I ran home after school and was met by my overly-excited mother.

"Amu-chan! How come you didn't tell me there was a dance today!" Mama squealed.

"Onee-chan! I wanna go, too!" Ami whined.

"My Amu-chan has grown up!" Papa cried. Mama dragged me to the mall and we went shopping for my dress. We went from store to store and looked through the dresses. Finally, we arrived in a rather small store. We went over to the dress section and browsed, but didn't seem to find anything fitting. It was when we were leaving that something caught my eye. It was a beautiful flowing white dress, and I wondered how we'd missed it. Mama loved it and bought it right away. We found a pair of matching heels and mask and went back home, where she prepped me for the dance.

I took one last look in the mirror, at my neatly curled waist-long pink hair (Which was usually in a messy high ponytail), flowing white dress, and mesmerizing honey eyes peeking out from behind the simple yet beautiful white mask, and smiled at Mama.

"Thank you..."

"Nee-chan, it's not fair I don't get to go, too!" Ami complained.

"Honey, how about going to your favorite resteraunt to eat while my elder sparrow dances?" Papa said cheerily.

"Okay!"

I giggled and we all piled in our car, which Papa insisted I take, saying "A princess shouldn't have to walk." Mama, Papa, and Ami dropped me off and I looked around. Everybody was elegantly-dressed, a beautiful mask placed over their faces. Some boys glanced at me. I felt a boy with midnight blue hair stare at me and turned away. I felt someone tap my shoulder and I turned, finding myself staring into two pools of mysterious blue.

"C-can I help you?" I asked. He just smiled.

"Care to dance?"

"S-sure..." He took my hand and led me to the center of the dance floor and we turned to look at each other. I hesitantly put my hand on his shoulder as I felt his touch my waist. We started dancing slowly, staring at each other. I wondered who this mysterious beautiful boy was, with the midnight-blue hair and eyes. After two songs, we stopped dancing.

"Would you like anything to drink?" He asked. "I'm going to get some lemonade."

"I-I'll go get it. I want to rest a bit." I walked over to the refreshments and got a cup of lemonade and headed over to where he was standing. But he wasn't there. I looked around for him and felt someone bump into me. I tripped a little over my long dress and the lemonade spilled onto a girl standing next to me. Before I could say something, she screamed and slapped me, knocking my mask off. Everyone gasped as the recognized the 'invisible girl'.

The girl who had slapped me smirked.

"Well, well, well. Isn't it Little Miss Pretty. Always acting so isolated and lonely. Just because you're pretty doesn't mean guys will care about your stupid acts and give you sympathy. So, playing dress-up now?" She taunted. I clenched my fist and bit my lip to avoid hitting her. I recognized her now: that girl, Yamabuki Saaya, who always acted like she was on top of the world just because her parents were rich. She even had her own group of followers.

I saw a flash of midnight as the blue-haired boy broke through the crowd and stopped, staring at me. I couldn't look at him. I just furiously wiped at my stinging eyes and ran through the crowd and out of the school. I had no idea where I was going, I just wanted to get away.

Finally I stopped and calmed down. I looked around, nothing seeming familiar. I took out my cell phone and called my parents, but it all just went to voicemail. Which was very odd. they always answered, no matter where they were. I sighed. How bad can this day get? I walked around aimlessly, my heels in my hand. My feet hurt from running in them.

There was the loud blaring sound of several sirens wailing as a line of ambulances and police cars drove through the street. I stared after them. What happened? I heard two elderly women talking and my heart stopped.

"Oh my! I heard there was a shooting at the famous Italian restaurant on Main Street!"

"Really!? That's horrible!" My blood ran cold. I started shaking, the words repeating over and over again in my head. Shooting. At Ami's favorite restaurant. Where my family was. My mind was still spinning as I broke into a run. The rough cement hurt my bare feet but I didn't care. Ami. Mama. Papa. I turned the corner and found myself on a familiar street. I must've seemed like a ghost when I arrived at the crime scene. My curly pink hair was tangled and messy. There was blood on my bare feet and on the end of my white dress.

The doctors and nurses were busy rushing and pushing people covered with a white cloth on wheeled platforms. I stared at them. It was true. I started panicking. I went under the tape and ran inside. The police and doctors were yelling at me. I didn't care. They couldn't be gone. It was impossible. I just saw them. Mascara ran down my cheeks as my eyes started to sting for the second time that night. I broke down. I collapsed on the ground crying.

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I cried for a month. My body rejected any sympathy. I locked myself in my room. They were all gone. Ami, Mama, and Papa. All gone. My grades came in the mail. Straight A+s. I found a safe in my father's study. I was numb when I tried out combinations of words Papa would probably use. It clicked open on 'Sparrow.' The safe swung open, revealing a large pile of hundred dollar bills and a note dedicating it to 'My eldest sparrow.' My eyes overflowed with tears. But I had decided. I would go back to school. I had to keep my A+. And they would be proud. I was sure of it.

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I remember the first day of high school. Especially her. 'Her' as in 'Yuiki Yaya.' She was so cold to everyone and had all classes with me. However, after school, I saw her crying by a sakura tree. I went up to her and she just wiped her tears and glared. I gave her a chocolate bar, telling her that she didn't have to be so closed up. She had said 'Right back at you,' and took the chocolate. After that, we became best friends. She only showed her candy-loving cute side to me when and nobody else. I told her that she should show it more often. I actually started smiling for the first time after the incident with my family. I thought our friendship would last forever.

Until I started having these random flashbacks and strange visions. The flashbacks kept on repeating that time Papa had told me my friends would get in the way of my grades, and how I had almost laughed since I was always alone. The visions showed me repeating the same thing over and over again: I am alone. I don't need anyone else. I hate everyone.

Then the tears came. When I was at school talking with Yaya, I felt something wet on my cheek. Yaya turned and looked like she was about to scream.

"A-Amu! Y-you're..."

I touched my cheek and inspected my hand. It was red. I was crying blood.

It happened again. Every night. Blood slides down my cheek from the corner of my left eye.

Three days after that, I saw Yaya at school with her hair in two ponytails tied up with two puffy bows instead of her usual high ponytail. She was grinning and eating candy, surrounded by my classmates. I smiled. She decided to come out into the open. I walked over and smiled at her.

"You did it, Yaya!" I said. She just looked at me blankly.

"Did what?" She asked, confused. "And how do you know my name?" My blood ran cold. The visions all suddenly came back to me. It was the curse. I ran.

Never again did I smile. I always wore a medical eyepatch over my left eye. I maintained straight A+s in all of my classes and never grew close to anyone. Because they will all leave me in the end. Just like Ami, Mama, and Papa. And Yaya.