Disclaimer: I don't own Angelic layer
Misaki was growing rather quickly. Too quickly, Hikaru wished she could keep her a child forever.
"Mom!" Misaki said running down the stairs, "How do I look?" she asked spinning in her new school uniform.
"Beautiful." Hikaru said ruffling Misaki's hair. "Excited about Jr. High?" she asked. Misaki nodded and sat at the table, eating the pancakes her mother made.
"Whoa," Wizard said looking at his daughter. "Slow down princess, you're gonna make yourself sick."
"Sorry dad." Misaki said slowing down a little. "But I wanna get there so I can see if Shirahime, Ranga and I have the same home room."
Wizard and Hikaru shook their heads; Misaki loved those two to death.
"How about I drive you?" Hikaru asked.
"No way." Misaki said shoveling food into her mouth. "I'm gonna walk." She finished quickly, kissed her parents goodbye and walked out for a second, then quickly walked back in. "Dad I need twenty dollars."
"For what?" he asked, she just shrugged, saying she might stop to eat on the way home with her friends. "You don't eat that much." He argued.
"I know dad…but I might need it." She pouted cutely and looked at her father with glassy eyes, knowing he couldn't resist. "Please?"
He surrendered quickly and handed over the money, watching as his daughter left quickly. He got up soon after. "Gonna follow her in the car?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes." He answered bluntly and left.
------------------------------
At the school:
Misaki looked at her schedule and ran to her homeroom, looking around. "Ranga!" she yelled and hugged her carrot topped friend.
"No hug for me?" a soft voice complained teasingly.
Misaki turned around and hugged her other best friend. "Hello Shira."
"Hello to you too Misaki." Shirahime said and ruffled the shorter girls' hair. "How was your vacation?"
"Fun, quiet though." Misaki answered.
"Dance camp was boring." Ranga told her friends and hopped on a table.
"So was my military camp, and exhausting." Shirahime told the girls then added that Misaki was lucky to not have to go to camp. She spent her vacation traveling.
Misaki sat down and showed her friends all of her vacation pictures. "Okay," Ranga said. "Tell your parents to adopt me so I can go to Barbados next year." Misaki laughed and showed off the rest of her pictures until the bell rang.
The day was boring, just teachers showing the students around school and telling them the rules of the class room,
Shirahime, Misaki and Ranga had homeroom together. Ranga and Misaki had English together. Shira and Misaki had gym together, Ranga and Shira had math together and they all had the same lunch.
"Only a few cute guys at school." Ranga said and sipped her drink, she and her friends snuck onto the roof for lunch.
"That'll keep you from getting distracted my precious bubblehead." Shirahime said, using the nickname Ranga loathed. "Besides, most of the boys here are pervs, whenever I get near the stairs, the start looking up my skirt."
"That's because you're so tall Shira." Ranga told her. "You meet anyone yet Misaki? Anyone cute?"
Misaki shrugged and opened her lunch. "Well…there is this one boy…"
"I KNEW IT!" Ranga yelled and now they were certain that everyone knew they were on the roof. So they made a mad dash to leave.
They left school together at the end of the day; Shira and Misaki were still scolding Ranga for yelling off of the roof. "Hey, I gotta pick up fish at the store for my mother, wanna come with me?"
"Okay." Shira said and she and Ranga followed her.
-----------------------------------
The store was pretty full, if it hadn't been for Shira and Ranga, Misaki would have been trampled.
"Oww!" Misaki whined as she bumped into a woman and they both dropped their things "I'm so sorry!" Misaki said and helped the woman pick up everything.
"It's okay." The woman said and Misaki could have sworn she heard the voice before and looked up at the woman. They both jumped back, minus the hair color, she and Misaki looked exactly alike.
"I…I uh…" Misaki stammered. The woman continued to stare at her. "I'm Misaki." She introduced herself, not knowing what else to say. She held out her hand so the woman could shake it.
"I'm Shuko…" Why did that name seem distantly familiar? Why did this woman have her face and eyes? The questions still raced as they shook hands. Everything about this woman seemed familiar, her hands, her voice, her eyes, her smile and her perfume.
"Well Ma'am…I better go…my parents are waiting for me." The slowly let each others hands go and Misaki paid for the food and left.
"Misaki!" she turned around and saw Shirahime and Ranga running after her. "Where were you?"
She didn't answer Shirahime but asked. "Do you think I look like my parents?"
Ranga blinked and Shira wondered what caused this question. "Why?"
Misaki shook her head. "Never mind…" she said and forced a smile. "I'd better get home." She ran as fast as she could. She was so confused. Could she have been adopted? Could it just be a coincidence? Why didn't she look like either or her parents?
She had blue eyes like her father, but the shape was totally different and his eyes were ice blue, hers were sky blue. She had red hair like her mother, but her mother had red hair and she herself had hair as red as cherry wood. Why had she never noticed this before? She had, but she didn't want to. She loved her parents more than anything, and she didn't want things to change just because she was a little doubtful.
Let it go. She told herself. They're your parents, they love you. Don't worry about that woman.
----------------------------------------------
Misaki got to the house and her parents quickly welcomed her home, bombarding her with questions about school, classes new friends, and the one question she expected from her father. "Did any of the boys try anything with you?" she laughs and said no, Shira wouldn't let a boy near her.
"I always liked Shirahime. She's a good friend." He said, smiling.
Hikaru and Misaki couldn't help laughing. They all continued their conversation, Misaki tried to forget the woman at the store. So what, there were a lot of people in the world who looked alike. Although…she knows she heard that voice before.
A/N: R&R please.
